European Lottery Guild

When you play the European lotteries, some of the money you spend on your tickets will find its way to charities and other good causes.

Spain

• Special draws are held to raise money for particular causes, such as the Spanish Association Against Cancer, the Red Cross and major sporting events, which have included the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
• The Spanish government uses funds raised by the Lotería Nacional to fund health, culture, and sports programmes, based on a percentage of overall sales.
• Money from ticket sales is used to improve roads, construct new hospitals and develop campaigns against various forms of discrimination.

Germany

• The German national lottery raises money through ticket sales each week for good causes, including education, young people and culture.
• As the national lottery is a co-operative between 16 state lotteries, the money raised for good causes is divided among the different regions.
• Good causes covering sports, social care and culture are supported, with North-Rhine Westphalia alone distributing €800 million annually.

France

• Money from the Française des Jeux is used to support sports and sports-related charities in France.
• In 2008, €225 million was donated to the French National Centre for the Development of Sport.
• All money is distributed via the Fondation d'Entreprise La Française des Jeux, which also has partnerships with a number of hospitals involved in the treatment and research of sports injuries.

United Kingdom

• Money from the weekly British national lottery draws is used to support a range of good causes ranging from sports clubs to historical buildings.
• Almost £2.2 billion is being contributed to support the development of facilities and teams for the London Olympics in 2012.
• Since 1994, more than £23 billion has been raised for good causes in the United Kingdom.

Ireland

• Money raised by the Irish National Lottery are used to support a wide range of charitable causes in Ireland, with €267.8 million raised in 2008.
• Areas where money is distributed include youth work, sporting facilities, arts, culture, national heritage and the preservation of the Irish language.
• The Sports Capital Programme has invested €120 million in recent years to improve sports stadia around the country.