The National Lottery raised £377.2m for good causes in the first quarter of 2026-27, marking a significant year-on-year decline.
The figure, published by the Gambling Commission, covers the 13-week period running from April through June 2026.
That total sits £107.7m, or 22.2%, below the equivalent quarter in 2025-26, representing a substantial retreat from prior performance.
Compared with the previous quarter, the good causes contribution also fell by £69.5m, equivalent to a 15.6% drop.
The core contribution from lottery operations reached £358.4m, with an additional £18.9m arriving from unclaimed prizes, interest and other payments.
The previous year’s first quarter alone produced £479.7m from the main contribution, highlighting just how steep the current decline has been.
Total National Lottery sales fell £261m, or 12.5%, against the same period last year, with EuroMillions accounting for £169.9m of that reduction.
Interactive instant-win game sales were also £42.6m lower, adding further pressure to the overall contribution figures for the quarter.
A licence cost recovery mechanism also played a role, with Allwyn beginning to recoup expenses tied to implementing the fourth National Lottery licence during the period.
That recovery was applied through an implementation adjustment within the good-cause contribution calculation, though the Gambling Commission did not specify the exact sum involved.
Allwyn took over National Lottery operations from Camelot in February 2024, inheriting a brand that has raised more than £53bn for good causes since launching in November 1994.
The operator bid for the licence partly on the strength of a pledge to more than double weekly good-cause returns, from roughly £30m to £60m by 2034.
Results from the latest quarter make that trajectory look increasingly challenging, with lower EuroMillions and instant-win sales directly reducing the money available for distribution.
Britain’s broader economic conditions offer only a partial explanation, as UK household spending actually rose in early 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Household spending, adjusted for inflation, recorded a quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.6% and was 0.9% higher than a year earlier, suggesting no direct recession link.
Weak consumer confidence and elevated saving rates may nevertheless have weighed on discretionary purchases such as lottery tickets during the period.
Good causes funding supports a wide range of sectors including sport, arts, heritage, health, education and environmental initiatives across the United Kingdom.
A sustained fall in lottery contributions narrows the flow of new money reaching those sectors, with real-world consequences for charities and community projects that depend on it.
Over the most recent four quarters combined, the lottery still delivered £1.7bn for supported projects, providing some context around the longer-term picture.
The next quarterly release will be closely watched to determine whether sales and good-cause payments show any meaningful recovery beyond June.
