Where every £1 goes
How the big draws split your money, and how we differ.
Where your pound goes
Every operator divides your pound differently between prizes, good causes and its own costs. The figures below are each operator's own published split, or the closest official figure available where a full breakdown isn't published.
The lotteries return around half or more to players, but concentrate most of it on a single jackpot. Prize-draw operators vary widely, and some do not publish a full breakdown of where the money goes.
Snaffle caps its top prize and spreads the prize fund across multiple winners, with a fixed share to good causes.
| Operator | To players (prizes) | To good causes | To costs, duty & profit | Prize structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snaffleour model | 60p | 25p | 15pCovers Snaffle's platform, operating costs, advertising, proposition, age verification checks, payment fees and VAT | Prize fund spread across multiple winners across several tiers, with the top prize capped. |
| Omazehouse prize draw | 10–15p* | ~17p* | ~68p*Mostly marketing and advertising, plus operations and profit | A single main prize, typically one house, awarded to one winner. |
| People's Postcode Lottery | 40p | 30p+ | up to 30pOperator costs, marketing and profit | Prizes tied to postcodes, so wins are shared among ticket holders in a drawn postcode. |
| UK National LotteryLotto | 56p | 23p | 21p12p Lottery Duty, 5p operating costs, 3p retailer, 1p operator profit | Player share weighted toward a single jackpot, which can roll over if not won. |
| Irish LotteryLotto | 58p | 27p | 15p5p retailer, 10p running costs and operator profit | Player share weighted toward a single jackpot, with smaller fixed prizes below. |
| EuroMillions (UK) | 50p | 28p | 22pLottery Duty, retailer commission and operating costs combined | Very large jackpot, shared across participating countries, with smaller fixed tiers below. |
*Omaze figures are estimates. Omaze does not publish a full pence-per-pound breakdown.
Notes on the figures. The UK National Lottery figure is the Fourth Licence average published by GOV.UK. The Irish Lottery and EuroMillions figures are each operator's published average. Omaze figures are estimates because Omaze does not publish a full pence-per-pound breakdown. Snaffle's own split is set for each campaign after charity and platform costs, with the full remaining prize fund shared across the draw. People's Postcode Lottery figures are approximate based on published prize and charity return information.
Sources
- UK National Lottery — where every £1 goes (56p prizes, 23p good causes, 12p duty, 3p retailer, 5p costs, 1p profit). GOV.UK, National Lottery Good Causes
- EuroMillions (UK) — 50% prizes, 28% good causes, remainder to duty, retailer and costs. EuroMillions, Good Causes & Distribution of Revenue
- Irish Lottery — 58% prizes, 27% good causes, 5% retailer, 10% running and profit. EuroMillions, Good Causes & Distribution of Revenue
- Omaze — 17% of total sales to charity (guaranteed £1m minimum); prize costs, marketing and retained income make up the remainder. Civil Society News / Wikipedia, Omaze
- People's Postcode Lottery — 40% of each ticket to prizes, minimum 30% (currently 31%) to the Postcode Trusts, and up to around 30% to operating costs, based on 2025 ticket sales of £735 million. People's Postcode Lottery, "How It Works"
Figures accessed and correct as at July 2026.