‘WIDER economic forces’ played a part in the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery having the smallest jackpot for 14 years – though organisers still insist that this year’s edition was successful.
Ticket sales dropped by around 7% this winter, while the £545,118 top prize was almost £90,000 smaller than last year’s and the lowest jackpot since 2008.
Jon Taylor, senior lottery officer, said that a series of factors had led to the reduced jackpot – which was won by a Guernsey ticket for the fifth year in a row – including an increase in the number of other prizes and the cost-of-living crisis which has seen Islanders across both Jersey and Guernsey cutting back on spending.
He said: ‘We have had a decline over the years, but there are wider economic forces at play.
‘We are fighting for people’s pound. People don’t go and pay £50 a time for a lottery, we don’t live in that world any more.
‘It’s been a success as far as we are concerned. We are delighted that the lottery still has a place in the hearts of some Islanders. Obviously, we would like to see that be the case for more.’
More importantly, the lottery is still generating large amounts of money for good causes. Based on estimated figures, this year’s lottery is expected to raise approximately £1.6 million pounds in total to be distributed across both islands.
Every year, the Channel Islands lottery undergoes a review process, which involves discussions with retailers and members of the public to gauge how they would like to see the lottery run.
A consistent piece of feedback received by organisers has been that the public want more prizes up for grabs.
Mr Taylor added: ‘Every year we reflect on how we can adjust the lottery for the benefit of the public, and as a result the lottery has evolved over time as we try to generate an increase in sales.
‘Now, as a result of the research we did and the response from the public, there’s lots more prizes.
‘Other than the first-prize, there’s lots of other prizes that people tend to forget about – substantial prizes as well.’
The review process for this year’s lottery will likely begin in March 2023.
