YouGov: How the National Lottery can tap into a younger demographic

With the future of the operation of the National Lottery still somewhat in the air – as Camelot challenges Allwyn’s bid – Lotto and its stablemates face another challenge: attracting younger customers to the game. According to YouGov consumer data, two in five Brits bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months, making it the most popular betting activity in the market.

The data shows that Lotto retains a noteworthy lead over second-place EuroMillions, in which a third of all Brits participated in the last 12 months (34%). But even though the games enjoy excellent market penetration overall, our data shows they are disproportionately played by older people.

Younger generations – Gen Z and Millennials – make up a significantly smaller portion of the group that has bought a ticket in the last 12 months than they do the overall population. In fact, only 1% of those who played the lottery in the last year belong to Gen Z (versus 7% of the overall population). The next generation up – Millennials – comprise just under a fifth (18%) of all lottery players (versus 31% of the overall population).

By comparison, Gen X makes up 31% of lottery players and 27% of the overall population. Meanwhile, Boomers make up 38% of lottery players compared to just a quarter of the overall adult British population (25%).

Against the odds 

National Lottery games obviously appeal to some younger players; but how can it build on this base? First, what’s keeping younger players from playing needs to be understood. Among those aged 18-44 and who don’t play the lottery, the biggest barrier is the perception that the chances of winning are too small (36%). Over a quarter of them (27%) also say they’d rather spend their money in other ways, such as charity, so highlighting the lottery’s charitable initiatives in a way that engages younger people might be one way to tap into this group of consumers. A fifth of them also don’t play because of the notion that it is expensive (18%), making it the third biggest factor.

To reach new groups of young consumers, though, it is also important to look at what sets apart the existing younger lottery players with respect to media consumption habits and sponsorship engagement. For example, YouGov data shows that lottery players aged between 18-44 are four times more likely than their older counterparts to have a paid Spotify subscription (32% versus 8%).

Social media might also be a great place to appeal to potential younger customers. Almost three times as many younger lottery players have used Instagram in the last month (61% versus 23% of older players) and they’re more than six times as likely to have used Snapchat (26% versus 4%). A third of younger players (32%) say they use Instagram to keep up to date with celebrities (versus 7%), which means there is a chance of appealing to them through celebrity ambassadors and sponsored posts too.

Overall, the best way to reach younger customers on social media might be through influencer marketing. They are more than four times as likely to have noticed sponsorship via influencers than older players (25% versus 6%) and are also 15 percentage points more likely to notice sponsored user-generated content on platforms like YouTube.

Importantly, there is a higher chance of converting advertising impressions into sales. The data tells us that younger lottery players are more than three times as likely to visit a sponsor website and make a purchase than older players.

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.