The Deutscher Lotto und Totoblock (DLTB), Germany’s state lottery association, has reported an uptick in lottery ticket sales across the country’s 16 states in 2022.
In total, just under €8bn was spent on lotteries across Germany last year, marking a slight increase of around 0.9% on its 2021 figures of €7.9bn.
This corresponded to €3.9bn being returned to state governments through duties and taxes with €3.18bn (around €8.73m per day) benefitting the general public, particularly in the areas of welfare, sport, art, culture, monument preservation and environmental protection.
Axel Holthaus, Managing Director of Lotto Niedersachsen, commented: “Despite the economic and geopolitical situation, the Germans tried their luck in 2022 as well. We were able to pay out €3.9bn in winnings across all types of games and thus make game participants happy throughout Germany.”
DLTB confirmed that Lotto 6aus49 remains Germany’s most popular lottery game, making up 50% of the total stakes. However, this is a slight downturn on the previous year’s 51% as the amount generated decreased from €4bn to €3.84bn, something Holthaus attributed to the “shorter jackpot phases”.
Eurojackpot ranked second among the most popular lotteries in 2022, with around €1.76bn staked to draw in a share of 22.06%.
“Eurojackpot expresses the European idea of gambling in the 18 participating countries and thrives on high sums in prize class one,” noted Holthaus. “We are therefore pleased that since the product change this year there have already been three jackpot phases in which winnings in the three-digit million range have been achieved.”
Meanwhile, DLTB witnessed a rise in online sales with digital games ‘continuing to gain in relevance’. In 2022, the digital range of games generated a total of around €1.09bn in stakes.
Sven Osthoff, Managing Director of Lotto Niedersachsen, said: “With the help of secure and modern technology, the 16 state lottery companies are comprehensively fulfilling their channelling mandate on the Internet.
“Likewise, the lottery principle, which is geared towards the common good, will continue to be kept future-proof through digital transformation.”
Germany imposed its Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsvertrag (GlüNeuRStv) in July 2021, changing the tax laws in the country, and Osthoff is convinced that the lottery companies remain united in support of it.
“This is also confirmed by the renewed state permits for the organisation of lotteries by the gaming authorities in the individual federal states. As a result, we will also be able to fulfil our channelling mandate in the years to come with reliable, modern lottery products.”
Looking ahead, DLTB has announced new draw machines for Lotto 6aus49 in its redesigned draw studio in Saarbrücken.
“The current machines are going into well-deserved retirement after more than 60 years and over 2,300 lottery millionaires drawn,” explained Osthoff.
Holthaus concluded: “With the new devices, we have our finger on the pulse. The transparency of the draws of our classic has top priority.
“Due to the enlargement of the draw drum and an additional camera, which for the first time also films the inside of the lottery draw in the draw drum, all viewers can understand the drawing process even better.”