How the UK’s ‘consideration’ for lottery games has held up
In the shadow of a global pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, YouGov’s Oliver Rowe takes a close look at the changing face of the UK’s lottery landscape In the shadow of a global pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, YouGov’s Oliver Rowe takes a close look at the changing face of the UK’s lottery landscape
It’s been a tumultuous few years for the world economy, with Covid-19 disruptions shaking up all sectors before the subsequent inflationary crisis again tested the resilience of business entities and consumers alike. The UK was no exception, in fact cost-of-living was arguably a bigger issue on these shores than in most other parts of the world.
So how, if in any way, have these turbulences impacted the lottery landscape in the UK? Has lower spending capacity negatively impacted The National Lottery brands or has the economic downturn made consumers more drawn to a potential life-changing flutter?
Looking at data, starting from 2019, we see that ‘consideration’ for The National Lottery has grown. Consideration scores refer to the percentage of people who say they will consider the services of a particular entity when they are next in the market. Most of that growth came in 2020 but the firm has managed to steadily hold on to those gains. Consideration scores rose from an average of 32.6 in 2019 to 35.1 in 2020 and stands at 35.8 in the four-and-a-half months of 2023 so far. It is worth noting that consideration did actually decline in the immediate aftermath of Covid-19 being declared a pandemic (from 36.7 on 9 March 2020 to 32.8 on 14 April, going by a four-week moving average) but bounced back quickly.
YouGov BrandIndex data shows that scores for EuroMillions have stayed somewhat steady – from 26.5 in 2019 to 27.8 in 2023. Lotto has logged more noticeable movement from 13.7 in 2019 to 14.5 in 2020 and to 16.3 as of 2023. But this is eclipsed by the rate of growth of Set for Life’s consideration, which has risen from 4.9 in 2019 to 8.4 in 2023.
Perhaps, amid the financial uncertainty brought on by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, lottery patrons have begun finding a bigger appeal in the monthly payout of the Set for Life jackpot as opposed to the lump sums that other lotteries offer.
Elsewhere, The Health Lottery has experienced a steady decline over the years, from 8.3 in 2019 to 4.9 in 2023. Consideration for the People’s Postcode Lottery has stayed mostly stable (from 13.5 to 13.1). BrandIndex also began tracking Omaze in 2022, and its consideration score stands at seven in 2023.
Who participates in the lottery online?
YouGov Global Gambling Profiles, which captures data on hundreds of gambling-related variables, contains figures for online lottery participation. Among those considering Omaze, three in 10 noted they played a lottery online in the last 12 months. About a quarter of those who consider Set for Life (26%) and Lotto (25%) say the same. Rates are only slightly lower among UK consumers who consider EuroMillions (23%). A fifth of those who consider playing the People’s Postcode Lottery (20%) and The Health Lottery (20%) say they’ve engaged in the lottery online over the past year.
Moving onto demographics of groups considering the various lottery entities, Omaze has the youngest base with nearly a quarter aged between 18-34 (23%). By comparison, 13% of those considering People’s Postcode Lottery fall in the same bracket. People’s Postcode Lottery (56%) has the highest share of female considerers, while EuroMillions (59%) has the highest share of males.
Interestingly, the audience considering Omaze also shows a heavy higher income skew; 30% have a ‘higher’ income, leaving a considerable gap with the share of higher income considerers of EuroMillions (19%), National Lottery (18%), Lotto (16%), Set for Life (16%), The Health Lottery (13%) and the People’s Postcode Lottery (12%).,
Having worked for YouGov for over a decade, Oliver Rowe has advised companies including Tesco and Barclays on their reputation management. He now brings that experience to a sector which includes the betting and gaming industry in his role as global sector head for leisure and entertainment.