British lottery to reveal sales slump

UK Lottery operator Camelot was today expected to reveal a slump in sales over the past year.

The announcement covering the financial year 2001-2 comes just weeks after a relaunch of the lottery draw.

Sales have been declining for the last three years and the €113m shake-up unveiled last month was designed to halt the slide.

The revamp saw the main draw renamed Lotto and the introduction of new games, new playing areas and new playing slips.

Camelot chief executive Dianne Thompson came under fire last week for claiming players of the Lotto game ‘‘would be lucky to win a tenner’’.

She has since said that there are no plans to change ticket prices and said players could expect a new game from next month.

Lotto Hotpicks, to be launched in July, is linked to the main Lotto draw and will increase the chances of winning bigger prizes for matching fewer numbers.

Players can win €63 (£40 STG) by matching two numbers, €706 (£450) with three and €11,000 (£7,000) with four.

Last month’s revamp, which aims to boost both sales and the amount given to good causes, was backed by one of the UK’s biggest ever marketing campaigns.

It included 10 television commercials featuring comedian Billy Connolly and a mailshot of easier-to-use playslips to 18 million homes.