Hospitals receive record funding from Lotteries

18/09/01
Record sales of Lotto in Western Australia generated record funds for hospitals, sports, the arts and community groups, Government Enterprises Minister Nick Griffiths said today. The record figures were included in the Lotteries Commission Annual Report 2000-01 that was tabled in Parliament today.
Mr Griffiths said hospitals and public health services, which receive 40 per cent of net subscriptions (lottery sales minus amount paid in prizes), were the biggest lottery winners.
"A record $71.4 million in lotteries funding was provide to the Hospital Fund," he said.
"The funding will provide significant benefits to the hospital and the public health system.
"In total, the sales from lotteries products enabled $134.1 million in total Lotteries funding to be returned to the WA community.
"Almost every part of the community had benefited from the strong performance of the lotteries business in WA.
"Lotteries funding has provided vital support for a huge range of projects and organisations during the year, not least the hundreds of voluntary organisations whose contribution has been acknowledged during the International Year of Volunteers."
Mr Griffiths also said that in the current year the Lotteries Commission faced real challenges in maintaining its sales and its return to the community.
"While the unprecedented run of jackpots helped boost sales last year, the environment in which the Lotteries Commission is operating is now more competitive than ever before," he said.
"In a tough retail environment, a maturing product range and growing competition for players' discretionary spending all meant that the Lotteries Commission would have to work hard to match their performance in the current year.
"As part of its strategy to maintain sales and player loyalty during the coming year, the Lotteries Commission will focus on its corporate image and communications with stakeholders.
"Among the initiatives planned is a stronger emphasise on communicating the ways in which lotteries funds are used in the community and an updated retail image for Lotteries outlets."
Other highlights of the annual results included,

• Sales of lottery products (Lotto, Instant lottery tickets, Cash 3 and Soccer Pools) totalled $455.2 million, $10.5 million (2.4 per cent) higher than the previous year and $24.1 million (5.6 per cent) higher than had been budgeted by the Lotteries Commission.

• Sporting organisations supported by the Department of Sport and Recreation and ArtsWA funded projects both received $8.9 million in funding (five per cent of net subscriptions).

• $46.8 million was distributed directly by the commission to charities and community groups in the form of 1,698 Lotteries grants.

• Strong sales for OZ Lotto (up 8.5 per cent to $55 million) and Powerball Lotto (up 21.4 per cent to $85.9 million) resulted from a higher than expected number of jackpots in both products during the year, including the first ever $30 million jackpot. In contrast sales of the commission's Instant Lottery tickets were 13.6 per cent lower than the previous year.

• The Commission achieved record sales of $455.2 million
• Western Australia recorded Australia's highest per capita sales of Saturday Lotto, Oz Lotto, Powerball Lotto and Super 66
• The Powerball $30 million jackpot generated sales of $7.3 million
• Pyramids, a $3 bingo style game, was launched and contributed $2.7 million in sales in just over 7 weeks
• 25 game Slikpiks, launched in March 2001, quickly became one of the most popular playing options for Lotto players
• PRO:SYS, a new central gaming system, was successfully installed.

• A record $134.1 million in Lotteries funding was approved for the Western Australian community
• Record amounts were provided for hospitals ($71.4 million), sports and arts ($8.9 million each)
• 1698 direct grants totalling $46.8 million were provided to community groups around the State and to the Perth International Arts Festival and the Western Australian film industry
• Lotteries support for the WA film industry totalled $3.3 million, an increase of in excess of $1.3 million over the previous year
• Lotteries funding, of almost $0.5 million ensured that the International Year of Volunteers was appropriately celebrated
• A grant of $350,000 to the Friends of the Art Gallery helped bring The Monet & Japan exhibition to Perth audiences
• A 'Grants Guide' was added to the commission's website to provide immediate access to grants information.

• Western Australians won a total of $267.1 million in prizes from lottery games
• A WA player won the largest prize in Australian Lottery history, winning the entire $30 million Powerball Lotto jackpot in January 2001
• 94 Western Australians won Division 1 Lotto prizes totalling $87.1 million
• 12 Western Australians won prizes over $1 million.