German State Lottery Reports €4bn In Sales For Q1

Last updated on February 13th, 2024

The German Lotto and Totoblock (DLTB) revealed a total of €4bn($4.73bn/£3.44bn) in sales for the first part of 2021. What is interesting is that out of this €4bn sales from the lottery, €1.6bn will return towards German states, i.e. in their budget. And given the pandemic, these numbers are surprisingly big. For that matter, there are several major contributors that made these strong numbers. One main culprit is definitely the COVID-19 pandemic.

More specifically, during this pandemic, most of the entertainment providers throughout Europe saw a similar trend in reporting high revenue profits. Naturally, the lockdowns and quarantine are really what pushed people towards online casinos, and any sort of digital entertainment for that matter, like never before. So, things are quite similar with Germany as well.

Consequently, the high stakes and prizes, in junction with the pandemic are what make for €4bn in lottery sales in Germany. For example, Lotto 6aus49 is the game with the biggest popularity in Germany, and that is due to the whooping €2.05bn in stakes. This makes for a 15.3% increase in comparison to last year. The report by the DTLB also states that there are 87 winners of a prize worth 1m or more. And that is for the first half only. Moreover, there are also 434 winners of prizes worth more than €100.000. Also for the first half of the year.

The managing director of Lotto Rheinland-Pfaiz, Mr. Jürgen Häfner, is also the current head of the DLTB. He recognizes the benefit of the new system, which sees public services getting part of the income. Playing a crucial part in the German €4bn in lottery sales. When giving a statement concerning the high sales, he said the following:

That means around €61.5m per week flows to public services. Without this money, a lot of things would not be possible.

Jürgen Häfner – Managing Director of Lotto Rheinland-Pfaiz & Head of DLTB

Furthermore, Mr. Häfner also salutes the new German State Treaty. This new legislation is still splitting public opinion, in regard to its practicality. Many players and gambling operators are against such a Gaming Treaty. The main reasons for the public backlash are the €1 spin limit on slots, the €1000 deposit limit on all operators, and the new taxation on stakes. More specifically, online slots and poker are now a subject of a 5.3% taxation. Consequently, the higher taxation is already questioned by the EGBA(European Gaming and Betting Association), and the DSWV(German Trade Association – Deutsche Sportwettenverband). So it is only natural for the public to have its reaction as well. And boy is not a good one.

However, Mr.Häfner is a vocal supporter of the new German State Treaty. In fact, he explains that the new set of rules and restrictions are solely in favour of the players. Additionally, he also states that the high support from German Parliaments is what makes this Treaty even harder to abolish:

Overall, around 90 per cent of all state parliament members voted in favor of the State Treaty. This comprehensive political consensus is a great success. We guarantee effective player and youth protection as well as an effective fight against addiction, and we welcome the preservation and strengthening of the lottery monopoly.

Jürgen Häfner – Managing Director of Lotto Rheinland-Pfaiz & Head of DLTB

We can only wait and see if the new German State treaty will backfire, or if will it produce game-changing results. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain: the German gambling scene definitely won’t be the same after 2021. Only time will tell if that will be in a positive manner that will drastically change the German gambling scene, or if it will force already pissed German players towards outside gaming solutions.