More than 240,000 Christmas Lottery tickets are usually sold in the Balearic Islands but sales were down by 60% at the beginning of November, year-on-year and Lottery Administrators are really worried.
“Our sales campaign began in July, but the progressive decline in Spanish tourism, in the international market and the cruise market plus the cancellation of Imserso trips because of the coronavirus crisis has caused a progressive decrease in the sale of tenths of the Christmas and Three Kings Lottery,” said Administrators of lotteries numbers 1, 8 and 28, La Pepita de Oro.
Collectives
A number of things have contributed to the decline in ticket sales, including movement restrictions, teleworking and the decline in purchasing power in the Balearic Islands.
20% of all Christmas Lottery tickets are usually sold in bars, but because of the coronavirus restrictions most have been forced to cut their hours or close down altogether.
At least half of the tickets are normally snapped up by cultural associations or sports clubs, but again, this year activity has been non-existent.
Lottery Outlets
Sales have slumped at all 207 ticket outlets and the decline was sharper in places like Palma that are usually very busy, according to the Sociedad Estatal de Loterías y Apuestas del Estado.
A dismal sales forecast for the 2020 Christmas Draw in a report by the Lottery Administrators and the the Sociedad Estatal de Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, or SELAE, has forced the National Association of Provincial Lottery Administrators Associations, or Anapal, to launch a marketing campaign to try to persuade residents and companies in the Balearic Islands to buy more tickets.
Prizes
The good news is that tax reforms mean winners pay less tax and prizes of 10,000 euros or less are tax free.