Using Lotteries to Attract Savings

Despite the importance of deposit financing for lending, banks in developing countries struggle to attract deposits. In a randomized experiment across 110 bank branches throughout Mexico, a lottery incentive based on net monthly deposits caused a 36% increase in the number of accounts opened and a 21% increase in the number of deposits during the lottery months. Nearly all new accounts (96%) were opened by households previously unbanked at any bank. The temporary two-month incentive had a persistent 2-3 year impact on the flow of deposits and stock of savings, and increased the present value of branch profits by 6%.