In its annual report published on Tuesday, 25 June, Oeuvre reported that it distributed €19.7 m to projects and not-for-profits in 2018, down from €20.17m in 2017 and €35.49m in 2016.

The Loterie Nationale, which supports the projects financially, recorded a 2.75% increase in turnover from 2017 to 2018, rising to €104.3m.

Oeuvre distributed €3.7m across 112 projects in 2018, down from €4.13m distributed among 130 projects the previous year. This figure is in addition to the €19.7m given to the following not-for-profits which, it donates to regularly: Luxembourg Red Cross, Caritas Luxembourg, Ligue Médico-Sociale, the Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois, Focuna, natur&ëmwelt, Fonds de Secours pour les Luxembourgeois à Bruxelles and Fonds Permanent. The Fonds National de Solidarité and Offices sociaux communaux also received shares from the fund.

The lottery’s increased turnover is largely credited to the success of the High 5 draw game and renewal of the scratch ticket range, which offset declines in sales of other games, the lottery body said in a statement.

Scratch cards recorded a 15.2% increase in sales to €24.43m. Lottery draw games saw a stable 2018, with sales of €75.67m. Gross revenues from games (RBJ), all products combined, amounted to €47.315m. Net income rose by 2% to €24.18m.