Canadian provincial lottery operator Loto-Québec has reported a 1.53% year-on-year increase in revenue for the first half of 2019, despite seeing a decline within its draw-based games business.Total revenue for the 183 days to 30 September 2019 amounted to CAD$1.42bn (£847.8m/€980.2m/US$1.09bn), up from $1.39bn in the same period last year. Loto-Québec noted that the first half of last year was slightly shorter, based on the 177 days to 24 September 2018.
Casinos were the most popular form of gaming in the Canadian province in the first half of the year, with revenue coming in at $512.5m, up 5.3% from $486.7m last year.
Revenue from gaming– primarily video lottery terminals – was also up 3.0% year-on-year to $465.9m, boosted by ongoing growth with bingo and kinzo products, but lottery revenue slipped 3.7% from $467.0m to $449.8m.
Loto-Québec said that the decline in lottery was expected as sales of the Lotto Max were particularly high last year due to higher jackpot prizes. However, online lottery games revenue climbed from $14.4m in 2018 to $15.5m in the opening six months of this year.
