Camelot reports record digital sales in first half

Camelot, operator of the UK National Lottery, has announced that it was able to achieve record digital sales during the six months to September 24.

Sales across National Lottery digital channels amounted to £726 million (€844.4 million/$905 million), with mobile sales up 13.5% year-on-year.

Total National Lottery ticket sales came in at £3.39 billion in the first half of the financial year, down on the record of £3.62 billion set in the corresponding period last year, while £1.93 billion was awarded in prizes to players.

Camelot also saw sales of the National Lottery GameStore range of online and in-store instant play games hit a first-half high of £1.4 billion, while £783 million was generated for ‘National Lottery Good Causes’.

Andy Duncan, chief executive of Camelot, said: “Despite the challenges we’ve faced over the last six months, our performance over the half-year still represents one of our best since the National Lottery’s launch in 1994 – and returning over £2.7 billion to Good Causes and players in just six months is no small achievement.

“With the current climate of economic uncertainty and signs that consumers are being more cautious with their spending, we expect the next six months to be similarly challenging.

“We’re also seeing no let-up in the direct, often aggressive, competition we’re facing from the wider gambling sector – especially from bet-on-lottery firms purporting to offer the same products as the National Lottery – and from large ‘umbrella-style’ society lotteries.

“But, with some great plans lined up, there’s still all to play for in the second half of the year – and we’ll be doing everything we can to deliver even more for our players and for the millions of people for whom National Lottery funding is so vital.”

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