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PlayGood Causes and Distribution of Revenue
A significant portion of the proceeds from EuroMillions goes to good causes. Wherever you buy your ticket, the relevant national lottery operator will give some of that EuroMillions money to charity. The distribution of revenue is different in each country, but all the lotteries are committed to supporting worthy projects.
The biggest share of the revenue goes to the prize pot, with the earnings from ticket sales used to fund the millions of winners in every draw and help to build up the jackpot. Money may also be set aside for operating costs, retailer commissions or duty on the income from ticket sales.
Good Causes by Country
Select a country from the options below to find out more about how the money you spend helps those in need.
UK
In the UK, 28p from every £1 spent on National Lottery games, including EuroMillions, is set aside for good causes. More than £40 billion has been raised since the National Lottery began, with over £30 million per week being added to the Good Causes Fund.
More than half a million awards have been granted to projects across the UK, and the figure keeps rising sharply each year. The funds collected are distributed by a number of bodies, covering four main categories – Sports, Arts, Heritage, and Health Education, Environment and Charitable Causes.
The money is split proportionally as set out by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Where Does The EuroMillions Money Go?
Sales from each EuroMillions draw in the UK raise millions of pounds, of which 50% is used to fund prizes. Go to the Prizes page to see how that money is divided between the different categories. The charity percentage is 28%, leaving the remainder to be split according to the table below:
| Area of Spending | Percentage of Revenue | Breakdown of a £2.50 EuroMillions Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Prize Pool | 50% | £1.25 |
| Good Causes | 28% | 70p |
| Government Lottery Duty | 12% | 30p |
| Retailer Commission | 5% | 12.5p |
| Operating Costs | 4% | 10p |
| Profit to Lottery Operator | 1% | 2.5p |
Austria
Österreichische Lotterien, which runs EuroMillions in Austria, has been sponsoring good causes under the motto of ‘good for Austria’ since 1986. Austria’s Olympic and Paralympic Committees have been backed by funds raised through lottery games in Austria, and at least €80 million is guaranteed for sports funding each year.
A range of other humanitarian and research projects have also benefited, while money has been raised to help the protection of pandas, lynx and bearded vultures.
Belgium
The Belgian National Lottery is committed to helping various good causes and offers grants and sponsorships to a host of projects.
More than €200 million a year is made available for public service grants, split between humanitarian and social work, donations to the community, culture, sport and science.
France
Française des Jeux (FDJ), the French National Lottery, is committed to developing athletes with sponsorship programmes, providing social support through sport and helping disabled people access sports. It achieves these aims through funds from games like EuroMillions, which are distributed by the lottery’s foundation. The company also sponsors the Française des Jeux professional cycling team, which was founded in 1997.
Around two-thirds of all the money raised from ticket sales in France is returned to players in the form of winnings. Funded community projects receive just over 20% and the rest goes to retailers and FDJ.
Ireland
More than €6 billion has been raised for good causes since the Irish National Lottery began in 1987, with over 4,000 groups on average receiving funding each year. The money is distributed across the country, supporting local initiatives and larger organisations such as the CROCUS Centre for people with cancer, the Dyslexia Association and the Asthma Society.
The breakdown of the revenue is 58% to prizes, with 27% being donated to worthy projects. Retailers receive 5% in commission, and the remaining 10% covers running costs and profit for the operator.
Luxembourg
Although the exact numbers fluctuate from year to year, around 50% of the money from ticket sales in Luxembourg is paid out to players as winnings. Charities across the country receive a contribution of 20% of the revenue, while 30% is collected by the administration, in the form of staffing or commissions for retailers.
The fields of health, sport, culture, social issues and the environment are all supported. The Nationale Grande-Duchesse Charlotte is responsible for distributing the grants on behalf of the lottery, with beneficiaries including the Luxembourg Red Cross and the National Cultural Fund.
Portugal
The Portuguese Department of Games runs lotteries such as EuroMillions and donates the majority of net income to government departments who distribute the funds in the areas of health, sport, culture and social issues.
Of the money provided for beneficiaries across Portugal and its islands, 28% is pledged to Santa Casa Misericordia de Lisboa, a charity dating from the 15th century which runs hospitals and other health centres, as well as supporting a wide range of other projects.
Spain
Loterias y Apuestas del Estado allocates its profits to an array of good causes devoted to social issues, sport, culture, education and the environment.
Some of the charitable organisations to benefit from funds from EuroMillions and other lottery games are the Spanish Association Against Cancer, the Olympic Sports Association and San Ildefonso Primary School.
Switzerland
There are two official lottery operators in Switzerland - Swisslos runs EuroMillions in the German-speaking cantons and Ticino, while Loterie Romande oversees the game in the French-speaking cantons.
Both operators provide support for good causes in their respective regions. Swisslos returns 65% to players in the form of winnings, with 6% going back to retailers as commission and 5% used for operating expenses. The remaining 24% supports national sports programmes such as the Olympic team and youth development in football, whilst also helping local projects across sectors such as culture, sport, social issues and the environment.
Loterie Romande also focuses on benefiting the areas of sport, social action, education, health, culture, research, heritage, the environment and tourism.