Camelot lottery sales up in fiscal H1

H1 figures for the fiscal year to end September have been released by Camelot UK Lotteries, operator of the National UK Lottery, showing that sales rose 5.4 percent to GBP 3.5 billion in the reporting period.

Growth was recorded across all product verticals, with digital doing particularly well, setting a new sales record of GBP 831.4 million driven by a broader range of online games, as well as the launch of an Android app. The new app contributed to mobile sales increasing to GBP 431.6 million, with the channel now accounting for the majority of digital sales.

Retail sales grew to GBP 2.6 billion, with retailer partners earnings GBP 147.2 million in commission over the six month period. Scratchards and online instant win games performed strongly, with sales up 10 percent year-on-year to GBP 1.5 billion.

“Thanks to the work we’ve been carrying out following our comprehensive review of the business, we’ve made a very positive start to the financial year across the board,” Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said.

“We’ll continue to make improvements across our retail and digital channels, and build on the good headway we’ve made to date in making The National Lottery brand more relevant and visible. On top of that, we’ve got some great plans for the second half of the year to ensure that we’re offering a more balanced and appealing range of games that offers something for everyone – starting with exciting changes to Lotto next week to give our players a better winning experience.”

Camelot paid out GBP 2 billion in prizes, creating 196 new millionaires, and generated GBP 793.2 million for good causes.