Sales of National Lottery tickets surpassed €1bn in 2021

The annual results from Premier Lotteries Ireland demonstrated a rise in the quantity of prize money awarded, which reached €586m in 2021. Picture: Mac Innes Photography.

The total annual ticket sales for  National Lottery tickets surpassed €1bn for the first time last year, according to the annual report from Premier Lotteries Ireland.

The figures also showed an increase in the amount of money given to good causes which rose to €304m, up from €254m in 2020.

This marks the first year the amount donated to good causes reached over €300m.

The annual results from Premier Lotteries Ireland demonstrated a rise in the quantity of prize money awarded, which reached €586m in 2021. 

The overall operating profits for Premier Lotteries Ireland in 2021 stood at €25.3m. This is an increase from €14.6m the previous year. 

Commission payments to National Lottery retailers totalled €55.3m.

The report demonstrated that around 90% of all revenue created by the sale of National Lottery games went back into communities. This occurred primarily through prizes, which received 56% of revenue while funding good causes received 29% of total revenue and finally, commissions to retailers across Ireland were provided with 5% of revenue.

In 2021, the National Lottery games created 31 millionaires in total. This includes making 17 millionaires through the Lotto game.

Throughout the year approximately 1.4m people participated in National Lottery games each week.

Andrew Algeo, Chief Executive of Premier Lotteries Ireland, said: "In 2021, the National Lottery passed the milestone of €6 billion raised for Good Causes funding since its inception in 1987. For a sixth consecutive year, funding for Good Causes has grown."

"Our retail partners too enjoyed a record year with €55.3 million being paid in commission," he added.