The Lottery Corporation has reported a 14% increase in revenue to $4 billion together with EBITDA up 1% to $827 million.

Active registered Lotteries customers was a record 4.75 million. Active portfolio and jackpot sequence management supported record jackpot activity (Powerball and Oz Lotto collectively up 26.7%.

Total ordinary dividend (interim and final) of 16.0 cps and special dividend of 2.5 cps; full year totaldividend of 18.5 cps represents a payout ratio of 100% of NPAT (before significant items)

Record $2.6bn of stakeholder benefits generated, comprising $1.9bn in Lotteries and Keno taxes to state and territory governments and $725m in commissions to retail businesses.

The Lottery Corporation Managing Director & CEO, Sue van der Merwe, commented:“FY24 was another successful year for The Lottery Corporation, showcasing the resilience and long-term attractiveness of our balanced and diversified game portfolio.

Our strong financial results delivered record benefits of $2.6 billion to our retail partners and the community, alongside increased returns for shareholders, with the Board determining to pay a special dividend of 2.5 cents per share, in addition to the full year ordinary dividend of 16.0 cents per share.“Lotteries continue to be very popular among Australian adults, underpinned by a low-spend, mass participation model. This was evident in the second half with the record $200 million Powerball jackpot generating queues in retail outlets and sparking conversations in homes and workplaces. In the first half, Oz Lotto captivated Australia with the $90 million Boxing Day draw.

These landmark events were driven by game changes in recent years designed to deliver bigger jackpots, more often.“As always, we manage the portfolio to maximise its appeal throughout the week, launching our newly branded Weekday Windfall lottery, including a new Friday draw. We are accelerating the convergence of retail and digital to deliver an improved customer experience, which should also drive long-term margin expansion.

This includes a digital retail membership program and customer data platform to deliver a personalised customer journey. Most importantly, we are committed to delivering our games responsibly and with integrity so they can be safely enjoyed by Australians and continue to deliver meaningful proceeds to governments and retail businesses.

“Our strong market position is underpinned by exclusive and/or long-dated licences, strong brands and diversified distribution channels. Our business has highly defensive characteristics, with strong cash generation and low capital intensity. We continue to execute our strategy to drive long-term growth, with more initiatives to enhance the customer experience and evolve the portfolio. This builds on our position as the leader in Australia’s lotteries and Keno market and one of the highest performing lottery businesses globally.”