Social Report
2005
Attracting and engaging players
The success of The National Lottery depends on our continued ability to understand and meet the needs of players.
We are interested in sales growth that is sustainable and responsible growth. It is important to us that we have millions of players spending small amounts of money, rather than a smaller number of players investing significantly higher amounts of money.
In 2004/05, 40 million players spent an average of £2.80 a week on lottery tickets and scratchcards. This generated sales of £4.8 billion representing a 3.3% increase from 2003/04 - a second year of consecutive growth following a five year slide in sales.
| Sales figures £ millions | |
| 2004/05 |  4,766 |
| 2003/04 | 4,615 |
| 2002/03 | 4,575 |
| 2001/02 | 4,834 |
| Total average weekly spend per player (£) | |
| YearTarget | £ billionsTo remain below £3.60 |
|---|---|
| 2004/05 | 2.83 |
| 2003/04 | 2.66 |
| 2002/03 | 2.56 |
| 2001/02 | 2.64 |
The proportion of adults playing lottery games shows a gradual decline in line with international trends. Around 68% of UK adults play The National Lottery at least once a month.
| % of UK adults playing | |
| 2004/05 | 68 |
| 2003/04 | 71 |
| 2002/03 | 74 |
| 2001/02 | 75 |
Weekly sales averaged between £85 - £90 million in 2004/05, compared with £48 million when The National Lottery was first launched back in 1994, and peak sales of just over £100 million a week in 1997.
76% of players say that they are 'satisfied or very satisfied' with the way that Camelot runs The National Lottery.
Positive messaging
The National Lottery brand is at the heart of our relationship with players and potential players. It encapsulates the essence of our business and helps to capture the imaginations of all our stakeholders.
We have undertaken to review and refresh the National Lottery brand. By consulting with both players and staff, The National Lottery's brand essence has been defined as 'Our Nation's chance to dream'. It is about offering everyone the opportunity to imagine different possibilities - in the shape of prizes and the difference to lives that funding to Good Causes can make. Following consultation with our employees and players, we have determined National Lottery brand values which include 'responsibility' as we have been entrusted to run The National Lottery and have a unique responsibility to protect the interests of players and vulnerable groups.
Launching Lady Luck
To encourage people to think positively and believe that you make your own luck, in September 2004, Camelot launched a major new advertising campaign. Actress Fay Ripley is the mythical character of Lady Luck urging people to 'Think Lucky' along with her sidekick, Barry the unicorn, voiced by Graham Norton. The new campaign consists of television, radio, press and point of sale advertising.
A 2004/05 commitment was to improve positive views of The National Lottery by creating a marketing campaign that re-engaged players with its positive aspects. Recent surveys show adults are slightly more positive towards The National Lottery. Furthermore we can directly attribute additional sales of at least £10 million to the Lady Luck adverts.
Going forward for 2005/06, Camelot will continue to build positivity by ensuring all communication reflects brand values and further developing the Lady Luck campaign.
Celebrating the lottery
The more successful The National Lottery is, the more Good Causes will be seen to benefit, and the more Good Causes that are seen to benefit, the more likely players and potential players are to feel involved in something worthwhile and successful. It's a virtuous circle.
A key event to celebrate a successful lottery last year was The National Lottery's 10th Birthday, marked by the first National Lottery Day on 6 November 2004. See Maximising returns.
| Percentage of adults being positive towards The National Lottery | |
| 2004/05 | 41% |
| 2003/04 | 40% |