15 January 2016

Playing in WA means our players and community are the big winners

With the international Lotto jackpot this week, Lotterywest CEO Paul Andrew highlights the benefits of playing Lotterywest Games.

  • Lotterywest is the original provider of lottery games for Western Australian players.
  • When you play Lotterywest Games you are supporting the Western Australian community through Lotterywest Grants with 34 cents of every dollar being directed to the community. In 2014/15 this amounted to $283 million. 
  • WA broke Lotto records in 2015 producing 99 Division 1 Lotto winners who shared in $263 million. Overall last year, more than 16 million WA winners shared in almost $477 million worth of prizes across all our Lotterywest Games including Lotto and Scratch’n’Win.
  • Western Australians playing Lotterywest Games are contributing to the prize reserve fund which means we can maintain the prizes for our games at levels that are attractive to players. 
  • When playing locally and purchasing games directly from Lotterywest, Western Australians do not incur any additional costs or loadings.

Other operators including Lottoland and OZ Lotteries are international or interstate companies that are not associated with Lotterywest.  

”Western Australia is the big winner in our lottery with 1,113 direct grants given last financial year,” Mr Andrew said.

Examples of key Lotterywest Grants given recently include:

  • $800,000 for Emergency Relief

These grants supported people in immediate financial crisis across 78 communities through its network of members and volunteers. Lotterywest provides emergency relief grants to a range of agencies and not-for-profit groups across WA to assist individuals and families in times of crisis. Typically this relief is in the form of food vouchers; help with immediate accommodation and utility costs and critical transport meeds.

  • $5.7 million to St Vincent De Paul Society (WA) Incorporated

This grant was towards a new facility for the organisation which supports a variety of community services across the State including emergency relief, welfare, financial counselling, mentoring, youth support services, migrant and refugee services and housing support programs.

  • $7.6 million to the Perth International Arts Festival

This grant will support this year’s PIAF which runs from 12 February - 6 March 2016. The Festival offers diverse and high quality local, national and international arts initiatives and cultural experiences. As in past years, it is expected to attract large audiences, and involve local arts organisations and artists in some of the world’s best theatre, music, visual arts and free community events in Perth, as well as in the Great Southern Region.

Lotterywest Games can be purchased from retailers in-store, through Play Online at www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au or by downloading the Lotterywest App.
 
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Media Enquiries: Jody Nunn - 9340 5371 / 0413705028