Retailers have managed to earn more than £8bn in sales commission since The National Lottery’s launch in 1994, as well as £50bn for 700,000 projects through the Good Causes initiative through selling tickets.

More than £95bn has been awarded in prizes since the launch. 

Independent National Lottery retailer Raj Patel, owner of News Bit in Bushey, Hertfordshire, has raised more than £700,000 for Good Causes.

He said: “Whenever I hear that over £30m is raised every week for Good Causes, it makes me happy that by selling tickets and Scratchcards in my store, I’m helping in some way.” 

Meanwhile, Brian McLister, owner of McLister’s Store in Ballycastle, has raised more than £650,000, and commented: “I feel proud that we’ve been able to make a difference. We’ve always strived to serve our local community and to help wherever we can. It’s great to be able to see the benefit of National Lottery funding in your area. Our local museum has been completely regenerated thanks to the funding they’ve received. It feels good to know that we’ve helped in some way.” 

Allwyn installs 300 National Lottery terminals in Morrisons Daily forecourts

Allwyn has been running games and draws to celebrate three decades of The National Lottery, including: 

• A ‘special’ Lotto £15m ‘Must Be Won’ draw on 9 November, which saw a millionaire made and the jackpot roll down to boost all the lower prize tiers.   
• A EuroMillions 100 European Millionaire Maker draw on 22 November, which will see 100 prizes of £1m (or €1m) guaranteed to be won in a single night.  
• A 30th birthday Scratchcard that hit stores in the lead up to the birthday and offers the best chance of winning £30 on a game, as well seven top prizes of £300,000. 

Allwyn’s interim retail director James Dunbar said: “By selling billions of tickets, and continuing to be the majority sales channel, it’s hard to ignore just how central National Lottery retailers have been in helping players raise £50bn for Good Causes since 1994. They’ve now earned over £8bn in sales commission along the way which further demonstrates the incredible impact of The National Lottery on the UK over the last 30 years. We would like to thank retailers for their amazing commitment and support over the last three decades.” 

Running alongside the major initiatives are the hundreds of thousands of grants – usually for £10,000 or less – which help small projects to make an difference in their areas. 

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