The National Lottery generated 22.5 per cent less for good causes between October and December last year than over the same period the year before, but the total raised was up by £40m on the previous quarter.

The National Lottery raised £417.2m for good causes in the last three months of 2013, but this was significantly below what the National Lottery Commission was a “relatively strong performance in the same period in 2012/13”. However, the amount raised in the third quarter of 2013/14 – after the National Lottery made changes to its flagship Lotto game and ticket price – was £40m more than in the three months immediately prior.

The National Lottery Commission quarterly report said: “The overall amount raised for good causes improved over quarter two due to the successful launch of the new Lotto game, strong sales at Christmas and a higher unclaimed prize contribution.”

The Commission went on to say that the decline in return to good causes in the last three months of 2013 compared to the previous year was also a result of money spent on promoting the new Lotto and the fact that in late 2012 a £64m EuroMillions prize went unclaimed.

A spokesman for Camelot told civilsociety.co.uk: “The fall in returns to the good causes is not because of the changes made to The National Lottery’s flagship game. On the contrary, new Lotto has rekindled player interest in the game, delivering tens of millions pounds more in prizes to winners, and led to immediate sales growth and a significant increase in returns to the good causes – which is exactly what it was designed to do.”

After a few years of spectacular growth, the National Lottery last November revealed it had raised £90m less over the first half of 2013/14 than the year before - a decline which preceded changes in the Lotto lottery game and ticket price.