WestLotto’s promotion of the common good reaches a milestone

30 billion euros in 67 years: The promotion of the common good via the lottery principle in North Rhine-Westphalia has reached a new milestone. As of January 19, sports, welfare, culture, monument protection and nature conservation benefited with a total of 30 billion euros from the taxes of the state lottery company WestLotto in the largest federal state. Since it was founded in 1955, this has forwarded around 40 percent of all stakes for charitable institutions to the state budget and thus contributes to the long-term security of charitable work.

Thanks to the sustainably high level of funding, the lottery principle is the most successful model for financing social structures in Germany. In 2021 alone, 690 million euros came together for the common good in NRW – that’s an average of around 1.9 million euros a day or around 1,312 euros per minute.

“North Rhine-Westphalia without charitable work is unimaginable. The organizations ensure a livable and diverse society and we are grateful and proud to have been able to contribute to this for decades,” says Andreas Kötter, spokesman for the WestLotto management. In addition to the financial support, sustainable partnerships with associations, clubs and foundations with very practical projects have emerged. This gives rise to a responsibility that WestLotto is happy to accept. “And we are working with all our strength to continue these partnerships successfully in the future,” says Kötter.

690 million euros last year alone

One focus is on promoting volunteer work. WestLotto Managing Director Christiane Jansen emphasizes the value of this voluntary commitment. “For a strong society, every helping hand will continue to be welcome and important in the future. With its values, WestLotto stands for this togetherness in NRW,” says Jansen. The lottery players themselves make a significant contribution to the lottery principle with their stakes.

The fact that this help is indispensable for the common good is also expressed time and again in the repeated commitment of high-ranking representatives of the public interest associations as well as the state government and the company in recent years. As the largest sports sponsor in NRW, WestLotto supports the state sports association NRW significantly. Its President Stefan Klett emphasizes: “The valuable and committed work of our sports associations and sports clubs is decisively strengthened through the diverse support provided. In addition, volunteering is an indispensable cornerstone of our society and therefore requires reliable partners like WestLotto.”

This also applies to the organizations of the Working Group of Free Welfare NRW, which are involved in social and health care. “With our facilities, services and initiatives of non-statutory welfare, we are constantly working for a social NRW. This would not be possible without promoting the common good via the lottery principle,” says Christian Woltering, chairman of the working group. More than 570,000 volunteers work in their associations.

Another trusted WestLotto partner is the NRW Foundation, which is committed to the triad of nature, homeland and culture – and in doing so wants to preserve the beauty of North Rhine-Westphalia. Eckhard Uhlenberg, President of the NRW Foundation, explains: “Since it was set up, the NRW Foundation has supported more than 3,500 charitable initiatives in nature conservation and in the care of local heritage and culture. The lottery proceeds are indispensable for this.”

The citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia come into contact with organizations that are supported by Lotteriegelder on an almost daily basis: Whether donating blood at the DRK, in the AWO kindergarten, in Cologne Cathedral or in the sports club.

All information on the lottery principle can also be found in the WestLotto-Newsroom or under www.lotto-prinzip.de.

These social organizations benefit from the lottery principle:

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_{BZgA: 0800 1372700 (free of charge). www.check-dein-spiel.de.}

_{Jackpot chance in prize category 1 at 1: 140 million / in prize category 2 at 1: 16 million}