Camelot, the operator of EuroMillions and Lotto in the UK, has announced that they have paid out record amounts not just to prize winners but also to good causes due to a sudden surge in the sale of lottery tickets.
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The lottery operator confirmed that in the six months leading to September 2011, popular games such as EuroMillions, Lotto and National Lottery scratchcards have accounted for winnings of up to £1.7 billion, which is £300 million over the previous year’s sales for the same period.
One of the increases was the massive win in August 2011 by Colin and Chris Weir, who won the EuroMillions lottery jackpot worth £161 million.
Camelot also donates generously to good causes, and lottery tickets that do not get claimed within a set period get sent to the good causes project. It includes funding for healthcare charities, art projects and more. Donations were up 17% from last year and were worth £918 million.
Over £650 million has gotten raised for London 2012 Olympics and Camelot from unique lottery games. Camelot confirmed that they are well on their way to hitting the £750 million target. Sales of lottery tickets and scratch cards were reported as being up by 20% to a staggering £3.3 billion.
Chief Executive Dianne Thompson said, “We’ve made an extremely positive start to the financial year, raising a record amount for the good causes and paying out record sums in prize money to our players, which the National Lottery is all about.”
Meanwhile, EuroMillions lottery players have a rollover to look forward to tonight. Last Friday’s lottery jackpot failed to find a winner, and tonight one lucky player could walk away with a massive £18 million fortune. Don’t forget to check the lottery results at EuroMillion Lottery.
Written by Joe Taylor for EuroMillion Lottery – your best source for lottery news