Golden Casket has
been operating in Queensland for close to 90 years,
providing entertaining games of chance.
The Corporation markets the well-known
brands of Gold
Lotto, Oz
7 Lotto, Powerball, Instant
Scratch-Its, The
Pools and Casket which
are as much a part of Queensland life as
beaches and BBQ's.
Every week millions
of Queenslanders dream about what they'd
do if their numbers came up or if they
scratched their way to instant wealth.
Behind these brands is a commercially focused
Corporation, which is one of the most successful
businesses in Queensland.
Golden Casket is recognised as one of the world's leading lottery organisations and was owned by the Queensland Government from 1920 to 2007.
On 29 June 2007 Golden Casket Lottery Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tattersall's Limited.
During 2004-2005 Golden Casket had an annual turnover of more than $813 million and returned almost $203.6 million to the Queensland Government. These funds are used to support a variety of community projects, which benefit the people of Queensland.
Golden Casket has operated
in Queensland since 1916. The first Golden
Casket draw lottery was conceived by the
Entertainment Committee of the Queensland
Patriotic Fund to raise funds for veterans
of World War One.
The historic drawing
of the first Casket was conducted on 14
June 1917, and was held at the Brisbane
Stadium (was Festival Hall). The hall was
packed, with an audience of hundreds of
people and such dignitaries as the Lord
Mayor. First prize was a casket of gold
to the value of £5,000 (the equivalent
of 30 years' salary), since cash prizes
were not permitted by law. This casket
was immediately bought back from winners
for the cash value of the prize. The word
'casket' (being a small box of fine workmanship
for jewellery and precious items) was thus
enshrined in the name of the Queensland
run lotteries.
The Queensland Government
took over running Golden Casket in 1920
and within just one year, the profits of
Golden Casket were raising two per cent
of the Queensland Government's total budget.
In the early days,
Golden Casket had just one Art Union. Over
the years it increased its frequency and
type of games and today gives away more
than $400 million in prizes per year through
a range of lottery games.
For close to 90 years, Golden
Casket has provided entertaining games
of chance to Queenslander's and generated
much needed funds for worthwhile community
projects all over the State.
Notable recipients
of Golden Casket funds include:
- The first
five Golden Casket Art Unions raised £24,138
for the Australian Soldiers Repatriation
Fund and £37,115 for the building of
Anzac Cottages for war widows and their
families.
- The Motherhood,
Child Welfare and Hospital Fund was
one of the major recipients of Golden
Casket funds over the years (between
1920 and 1975). It received over £4
million between 1920 and 1938 and direct
support continued until 1975 (funding
hospitals, 95 maternity hospitals and
over 150 baby clinics, Bush Nursing
Association, crèche and kindergarten
institutions, TB Soldiers' Housing
Scheme and Cancer Campaign Committee
etcetera).
- The Royal
Women's Hospital in Brisbane was built
and equipped entirely from funds raised
by Golden Casket in 1938.
- Revenue raised
from Golden
Casket has been attributed to
making free public hospital service
possible in Queensland.
- Other recipients
have included:
- Queensland University
- Red Cross
- Surf Life Saving Association
- Queensland Country Women's Association
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny Polio Clinics
- The Queensland Performing Arts Complex (partly built using funds
raised by Golden Casket for the Cultural Capital Development Fund)
and other cultural projects
Since 1992 Golden Casket has directed $1.5 million each year to Queensland
Health for special projects relating to children's health. Both the Royal
Children's Hospital Foundation and the Mater Children's Hospital Trust
have received $500,000 each per year. The remainder is allocated to a
range of children's health projects throughout the State.
The Golden Casket Foundation was officially announced as a key addition to the Queensland Government's Smart State Policy on 18 April 2005. Established to fund worthwhile Queensland-based initiatives, it is envisaged the Golden Casket Foundation will continue to positively impact on the lives of many Queenslanders both now and in the future.
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