“The chance of winning the jackpot decrease from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.”
National Lottery income for good causes fell by 15% between April 2016 and April 2017 as players bought into fewer draw-based games and spent more on less profitable scratch cards.
A report from by the UK Government’s spending watchdog, The National Audit Office (NAO), shows income fell to £1.63 billion on the back of Lottery sales falling by nine to £6.93 billion. Camelot, who run the UK National Lottery, has predicted a further fall in sales and income for good causes in 2017-18.
Returns to good causes are higher from sales of draw-based Lottery games, which fell by 13% in the year to April 2017, than for scratch cards and instant-win games, which saw sales drop by just two percent, according to the NAO report.
The approximate return for good causes ranged from 34p for each pound spent on draw-based Lottery games bought online to 10p for scratch cards, with some scratch cards returning as little as 5p.
The big change
Changes to the Lotto draw in 2015 saw the number of balls increase from 49 to 59 and the chance of winning the jackpot decrease from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.
The cost of playing EuroMillions increased by 50p to £2.50 a line and players had to choose an extra number under changes introduced in September last year that decreased the odds of winning the jackpot but promised bigger prizes and double the number of UK millionaires.
“The Lottery’s overarching objective is to maximise returns for good causes through selling Lottery products in an efficient and socially responsible way. The relative decline in sales of draw-based games compared with instants has led to a lower rate of return to good causes,” the report stated.
“it could be you!” err, yeah, right
What troubles me is what is being spent on training Olympic athletes as opposed to feeding the hungry and clothing the needy