German lottery sales decline to €3.6bn in H1 2018
Germany’s state lottery association the Deutsche Lotto-und Totoblock (DLTB) has reported a 3% year-on-year decline in lottery sales for the first six months of 2019.
Total sales across the country’s 16 federal states fell to €3.6bn (£3.2bn/$4.0bn), with the bulk of revenue generated by the Lotto 6aus49 game. The title accounted for €1.8bn of sales – up 3% from H1 2018 – or half of all sales over the period.
In contrast, Eurojackpot struggled during the first half, with sales falling to €603m. However, the DLTB noted, sales in the prior year were boosted by an exceptionally large jackpot, which saw players buying tickets for the chance to winning a prize pool that rose to €90m.
The games offered by DLTB members created 60 new millionaires in Germany during H1. A player in Rheinland-Pfalz won a €63.2m prize in a Eurojackpot draw, the largest prize awarded in the country.
Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany’s most populous state, was home to 12 of the new millionaires, including one player that secured a €45m Eurojackpot prize, the second-largest sum to be awarded.
The state was also home to the winner of the third-largest prize, a €31.4m jackpot. Ten winners were based in Niedersachsen, and nine in Bavaria.