In 2024, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa achieved its second-highest gross sales in the history of its national lottery games, exceeding €3.14 billion, second only to the figures from 2019. This year also set a record for prize payouts, with players receiving over €2.07 billion.
The institution's 2024 Annual Report indicates that the state benefited from €895.5 million in revenue, with €673 million allocated to beneficiaries and €211.6 million collected from stamp duty—marking a record high for this tax on lottery sales. The report states, “2024 saw the highest amount ever paid in prizes by Jogos Santa Casa to bettors, totaling €2,073.20 million.”
The impressive performance of the lottery games resulted in a record €247.9 million in commissions paid to agents, the majority of whom are small, family-owned businesses. This has significantly benefited local economies and job markets.
Paulo Sousa, the head of Santa Casa, noted that when the board took office, they faced a considerable decline in lottery activity compared to 2023. One of their main goals was to quickly reverse this trend.
To achieve this, they implemented several key measures, including addressing accessibility issues for certain games, expanding the network of agents to approximately 5,000 across Portugal after more than a decade of stagnation, and investing over €20 million to upgrade the retail technology platform.
Sousa emphasized that 2024 marked the highest volume of digital lottery sales to date, recognizing the increasing significance of online channels while reaffirming the institution's dedication to its physical retail network and the conditions of its operating license.
Despite the impressive financial performance, Sousa acknowledged the persistent issue of gambling addiction, noting that social lottery games represent only 15% of total gambling in Portugal. Santa Casa also runs a support helpline for those struggling with gambling problems, although more than 65% of the calls are not related to their games. He urged for increased attention to the societal challenges associated with online gambling.
