Retailers should rethink their National Lottery communications

Suppliers always need to ensure a ‘triple win’: the shopper, the retailer and, of course, the supplier themselves. They all need to see a benefit or no worthwhile business happens.

Not so when it comes to the National Lottery. Here, it’s actually a quadruple win. The additional participant is not the prize winner, but the good causes the retailer supports by enabling National Lottery sales.

In the National Lottery’s 30th birthday this year, we can celebrate its incredible achievements. Over £49bn has been raised for good causes. Much is made of its role in helping our nation’s athletes win Olympic and Paralympic medals but, importantly, billions have gone into local charities.

I don’t believe retailers make the most of this fourth win. The contribution to communities can be promoted right down to each store catchment area – presenting a huge opportunity for a second benefit on top on the considerable commercial win.

In this digital world, you might imagine retail would become less important to lottery players. However, it is still responsible for the majority of National Lottery sales.

Allwyn, the first new National Lottery operator since 1994, has ambitious plans for retail. It’s investing heavily in its 40,000-plus store partners and adapting its offering to reflect the changing face of retail. Self-checkout and home delivery solutions are just the start of what the company has lined up.

Not enough has been said about this major change in a unique category and national treasure. Most will not have even noticed the new licence operator takeover in February this year, because much of what it wants to do to reinvigorate the National Lottery is dependent on new in-store terminals and technology. This slight pause was therefore inevitable.

But work to ‘bring back the magic’, as it says, has already started. There are 55 new sales reps in place so far, and a complete overhaul of National Lottery’s in-store technology, terminals and PoS is underway. The planned innovations will make the National Lottery feel relevant for everyone, connecting players to the impact they have every time they buy a ticket.

Read more: What has Allwyn done since taking charge of the lottery?

Allwyn’s plans are set to generate more money than ever before for lottery-funded projects. Retail is at the forefront of helping to ensure around £30m continues to be raised every week for these good causes, and there are targets to double this amount to £60m a week over the next 10 years.

Sure, retailers earn commission off the lottery – an impressive £7.9bn has gone to retailers so far. But the more important strategic commercial win is that the National Lottery is a proven highly successful driver of footfall and loyalty. There is an exciting future ahead for its players, but also a major opportunity for retailers valuing that ‘good causes’ glow. Happy birthday to the National Lottery.