Hesse: Five Years of Environmental Lottery

Almost 1.3 million euros for nature

Five years ago, the state of Hesse launched the environmental lottery GENUINE through the state lottery company. The name GENAU stands for the slogan Together for nature and the environment. Under the sign of sustainability, the proceeds flow into environmental protection projects. On the occasion of the five-year anniversary, lottery boss Heinz-Georg Sundermann has published some numbers.

According to this, the environmental lottery has been involved in more than 250 projects for environmental and nature conservation in Hesse since 2016IGT and has provided them with significant support. Over 1.25 million euros went directly into measures to preserve Hessian nature. But how exactly is the profit system structured and how are the funds channeled towards environmental protection?

Lottery tickets travel via zip codes

In addition to the individual winnings, a jackpot worth 5,000 euros is played every week at GENUINE. The amount goes directly to an environmental project that is located near the lottery winner's home. Individual districts and independent cities are allowed to put up to 30 nature conservation projects on the list.

Among the benefactors are many environmental groups, schools and cultural and local associations. The income has already been invested in protecting fawns, bees, owls and toads. In addition, various gardens and the network of barefoot paths were expanded. In addition, entire meadows and school grounds were planted with fruit trees.

To take part in the GENAU environmental lottery, you definitely need a postal code in Hesse. If you enter this, the corresponding city or region is automatically determined. With a stake of just five euros you already have the chance of winning a main prize of 10,000 euros. The main prize depends on the number of players. The highest winnings played so far were 90,000 euros in November 2020 and went to a player from the Offenbach district. An additional option to win one million euros, introduced in November 2017, has not yet been taken.

EXACTLY five years of niche lottery

Despite the considerable success and high ambitions, in contrast to other lottery offers, GENAU is still a small secondary lottery that only records very slow sales growth. The results could be much better. However, the belief that a natural lottery can generate millions in winnings for the environment seems utopian when players are only offered very small chances of winning millions.

This is made clear by the fact that the additional chance of a million euros has not yet been cracked once. The million dollar prize can be won using the usual ticket for 4 C$25. To do this, however, the last three digits of the main winner's ticket number must match an additional three-digit number, which makes a win rather unlikely.

A look at the developments over the last few years illustrates the rather sluggish growth: GENAU started 2016 with sales of 2.2 million euros. In 2017 they were 2.9 million, while in 2018 they fell again to 2.8 million and in 2019 to 2.7 million euros. The highest growth rate to date was achieved in 2020, where sales rose to 3.2 million euros. The total sales are around 15 million euros in five years. A possible reason why the environmental lottery has so far only reached a few people is probably the lack of availability Online lottery providers. Even providers like Lottoland, who otherwise have a very comprehensive range, do NOT list EXACTLY.

Lotto boss Sundermann recently spoke of an impressive balance sheet and is still convinced of the concept of the environmental lottery. A niche product was created that is specifically tailored to Hesse and has therefore developed well. The environmental lottery appeals to young, environmentally conscious families who want to do something to protect nature for the sake of their children. They also have the opportunity to have a say in which projects should be funded. This is particularly attractive because you can really make a difference.

In order to accredit more customers, the GENAU environmental lottery has offered many special draws in recent years, for example bicycles and e-bikes were raffled off. An electric car is also being offered as a special price for the five-year anniversary. It remains to be seen whether this will further increase demandigt.

Sustainable lotteries are often unsuccessful

Sustainable concepts don't have it easy in the highly profit-oriented gaming market. Many social or sustainable lottery products have failed the acid test and had to be discontinued. An example of this is the outcome of the educational opportunity lottery in November 2019.

The main initiator of the educational opportunity lottery was the German Children and Youth Foundation. The aid organization SOS Children's Villages and the Donors' Association of German Science were also involved in the project.

Actually, various educational initiatives should be supported through ticket sales. But the social lottery had fallen short of expectations, according to the initiators. High marketing expenses, increasing competitive pressure on the lottery market and a lack of ticket sales were responsible for the end. The public interest in the competition was simply too low.

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