Lottoland has filed an application to have its own lottery in several German federal states. The game/play principle resembles that of the German lottery classic ‘Lotto 6aus49’ or the European multi-state lottery, Euro jackpot.

With a revenue of €300 million ($317.9 million), Lottoland is one of the leading private online lottery operators in Europe. Lottoland offers bets on major lotteries around the world.

“With more than five million customers, we understand what lottery players worldwide are looking for. Now we want extend our offering even further and set up our own lottery in Germany,” says Dr. Rolf Stypmann, spokesman for Lottoland.

“If we were to receive permission from a federal state authority, Lottoland would be the first private lottery company offering a ‘major lottery’ (a lottery with high jackpots) in Germany. Lottoland would set up the game plan, have the draw handled by a neutral authority under public supervision, and would allow the jackpot pool to be distributed according to a pre-set game plan. Customers would be able to collect their lottery ticket at selected collection points and lottery terminals, as well via internet.

“We are excited to see the outcome of this application and hope at the very least to be informed about the requirements for such a license. Organisationally, private companies are able to handle lotteries at the level of state lotteries. This is what we experience in Italy, UK and Austria,” says Stypmann.

The German State Lottery Association produces 7.3 billion euros in revenue each year. About 40 percent of the money goes directly to the finance ministers of each federal state. The assignment of the money is independently decided upon by the states. The public sport bets supplier Oddset, generating revenues of 186 million euros, is comparably small.

“These figures demonstrate why the federal states have an interest in maintaining the public lottery monopoly and refuse any kind of progress. For them, too much money is at stake, especially in comparison to sport bets,” says Stypmann. “In February the German State Lottery Association called on private sport bets suppliers to agree on mutual standards for a strictly-controlled opening of the sport betting market. No comparable measures have been taken concerning the lottery sector which is less at risk of manipulation and less dangerous. We see this is as absurd.”