UK National Lottery registers record digital sales

Total sales numbers for the 2017-2018 financial year show that digital sales hit a record £1.65 billion.

UK.- UK National Lottery operator Camelot has reported that digital sales hit a record £1.65 billion in the 2017-2018 financial year. Total sales amounted to £6.95 billion, up £26.4 million when compared to the previous year.

Camelot had previously anticipated a decline in numbers, but digital sales’ performance helped the operator achieve better than expected results. Mobile sales also hit an all-time high of £700.6 million, with sales across smartphones and tablets accounting for more than 40 per cent of all digital sales.

The operator of UK National Lottery said that there has been record sales numbers on the applications for mobile, after it launched its Android app in 2017. Despite the impressive digital results, retail is still the biggest sales channel after accounting £5.3 billion during that period, more than 75 per cent of total sales.

Nigel Railton, chief executive of Camelot, said: “Given that we had anticipated a further sales decline this year, our achievement in getting The National Lottery back into growth and delivering more money for Good Causes underlines the importance of the work we have been carrying out following the strategic review.”

“It’s fair to say that sales benefited from a nice run of luck – particularly on EuroMillions with some incredible jackpots – but the strong foundations and new initiatives that we are putting in place have also started to play a part.”

And he added: “As we look to build on the progress we’ve made, we’ll continue to take action in those areas that we identified in the strategic review. While there is much work still to do – and we’ll continue to face challenges beyond our control, such as continuing doubts over the economy and ever-increasing competition from the gambling sector – we’re confident that we have some really strong plans lined up. These include improvements to Lotto coming later this year to give our players a better winning experience. The National Lottery is a truly national institution that makes a massive difference to the lives of people and communities across the UK – and everyone at Camelot is fully committed to ensuring that this success story continues.”