Operator News
Germany – German Lotto proves pandemic proof with 7.9 per cent increase
By Phil - 9 July 2021
German Lotto and Totoblock (DLTB) enjoyed an outstanding first half to the year with an increase of 7.9 per cent, 87 game participants becoming millionaires and 434 other players taking home winnings of €100,000 or more. Each of the 16 state lottery companies were able to increase the amount spent on their games again to over €4bn, after having been at a high level in the previous year.
Jürgen Häfner, Managing Director of Lotto Rheinland-Pfalz, which is currently in charge of the DLTB, said: “Our customers have remained loyal to us in the first half of 2021 as well. We are particularly pleased about the significant increase in our long-running LOTTO 6aus49. The introduction of the new profit plan last autumn alone generated an increase in stakes of over 15.3 per cent. We have proven that LOTTO 6aus49 is a traditional model with a future.”
He said he was particularly pleased that changes in the main product had significantly increased the number of lottery millionaires. Of the 87 game participants who became millionaires in all DLTB game offerings, 50 did so by playing the lottery alone. This is due to the fact that in the second prize category (six correct numbers), considerably more millions in winnings are structurally possible. 14 of the 87 new millionaires came from Baden-Württemberg, 13 wins over the million mark were made in Bavaria. There were 12 new millionaires in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse.
With an increase of around 15.3 per cent to €2.05bn, LOTTO 6aus49 is at the top of the DLTB’s gaming offerings. “We have managed to make our classic fit for the future,” added Mr. Häfner. “The number of millionaires has quadrupled with simple sixes. The well-known phrase ‘It’s like winning the lottery’ has become more topical.”
In addition, the jackpot can now rise more quickly into the double-digit millions and grow to a maximum of 45m.
In the first half of 2021, more than €1.6bn were paid to the respective state budgets from the stakes in the form of taxes and duties. “That means: around €61.5m are donated to the common good every week. This is money without which a lot of things would not be possible in Germany,” Mr. Häfner explained.
Mr. Häfner was also impressed by the political consensus with the State Treaty on Gaming in 2021. “The state parliaments have consistently spoken out in favor of the new gaming regulation with clear, cross-party majorities. Overall, around 90 per cent of all members of the state parliament voted for the State Treaty on Gaming in 2021. This broad political consensus is a great success.”
The stakes at the Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg continued their record run. In the first half of the year they were higher than they had been since 200 By the beginning of July, the people of Baden-Württemberg spent around €549.4m with the state company, 8.4 per cent more than in the already strong first half of 2020.
Lotto Managing Director Georg Wacker said: “We are delighted with this great result. We owe it above all to the classic LOTTO6aus49, the increasingly popular scratch card, but also the traditional football pool. A good mixture.”
Internet lottery sales came in at €75m up 20.2 per cent on last year. Mr. Wacker added: “The fact that the southwest is regularly in front of the more populous federal states is actually contrary to probability. The players between Breisgau and Odenwald apparently have a special connection to Fortuna. ”
