During the 2021-22 financial period, the UK National Lottery distributed a sum of £18.4 billion (equivalent to €21.6 billion / $22.1 billion) to charitable organizations, marking a slight 0.4% increase from the preceding year.
Over the 12 months concluding on March 31, 2022, the National Lottery recorded £18 billion in fundamental primary contributions, but it’s important to note that £71.6 million was included in the amount withdrawn during that fiscal year.
Furthermore, a deduction of £14.3 million was made due to permissible VAT recovery, funding for the National Lottery’s promotional division, interest earnings on primary contributions, and the recovery of interest charges on funds held by the EuroMillions Trust Fund.
This resulted in a primary contribution paid to charities of £17.2 billion, representing a slight decrease of 0.6% from the 2020-21 fiscal year.
However, after taking into account £111.1 million in unclaimed winnings and £12.2 million in other miscellaneous payments (such as secondary contributions, payments for lost or stolen scratch cards, financial penalties, and auxiliary activities), the final figure climbed to £18.4 billion.
When broken down by quarter, the 2021-22 financial period saw £420.7 million payable in the first quarter, £418.4 million in the second quarter, £508.5 million in the third quarter, and £491.3 million in the fourth quarter.
The National Lottery Distribution Fund safeguards funds for beneficial purposes, and the Gambling Commission makes sure that lottery operators make precise and prompt payments to these causes.
Since its introduction in November 1994, the National Lottery has gathered over £46 billion for worthy causes, such as sports, arts and heritage, as well as health, education and the environment.
This news arrives just a week after the Court of Appeal allowed Camelot Group and International Game Technology (IGT) to appeal against the decision to grant the fourth UK National Lottery license to Allwyn Entertainment.
The Gambling Commission had chosen Allwyn as its favored applicant in March, a decision that would have ended Camelot’s 28-year run as the UK’s lottery operator. Camelot, which has run the lottery since its beginning in 1994, was named as the backup applicant.
In April, Camelot initiated a High Court challenge against the decision, questioning whether the Commission had legally granted the license to Allwyn. This led to the formal awarding of the lottery license to Allwyn being put on hold.
The High Court lifted the hold in June, though the legal challenge continued, with Camelot and IGT also challenging the decision and taking their case to the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal granted permission for the appeal last week, meaning the automatic suspension will be reinstated while the outcome of the appeal process is determined.
The appeal hearing is likely to take place sometime within the week commencing September 12th.
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