Charitable donations from the National Lottery have fallen to their lowest level in nearly a decade, raising concerns about the future of the operator Allwyn’s licence and its ability to meet ambitious funding targets.
In the 13 weeks ending June 30, contributions to so-called good causes dropped by almost 25% to £377.2 million compared to the same period last year. This marked the lowest quarterly donation total since early 2017. The reported figures included nearly £19 million from unclaimed prizes, interest, and other supplementary payments.
The decline in charitable donations corresponded with a significant drop in ticket sales, which fell by £261 million overall. Sales of Euromillions tickets declined by £170 million, while online instant win game revenue decreased by £43 million compared with the second quarter of 2025.
The downturn has intensified scrutiny on Allwyn, which took over the National Lottery licence from Camelot in February 2024 after three decades under the previous operator. Government ministers have expressed growing concerns about Allwyn’s performance, with reports indicating that Lisa Nandy is advocating for greater state involvement in the lottery as part of a broader push to nationalise struggling companies. The National Lottery remains the largest single donor to the UK’s charity sector, supporting initiatives in areas including sport, arts, heritage, health, education, and the environment.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has initiated the first comprehensive review in over 20 years into how National Lottery revenues are distributed. Culture Secretary noted that the existing funding model is “showing its age,” and criticized decision-making as often disconnected from local communities.
Allwyn, which is owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komárek, initially pledged to increase charitable donations substantially from the £18 billion distributed under Camelot to £38 billion over the next decade—an average of £3.8 billion annually. The company later scaled back these projections, committing instead to doubling weekly charitable contributions from £30 million to £60 million, equivalent to nearly £3.2 billion per year. Despite the recent decline, Allwyn has repeatedly asserted it remains on track to meet its commitments.
A spokesman for Allwyn attributed the drop in donations to differences in lottery performance between the two periods. The previous year’s quarter featured a record-breaking EuroMillions rollover series, with 12 jackpots exceeding £100 million and several surpassing £200 million, which generated exceptionally high ticket sales and returns for good causes. This level of jackpot activity was not replicated in the first quarter of 2026.
The company also noted the recent introduction of new draw games, including new versions of Lotto and Powerball, aiming to reinvigorate sales moving forward.