Lotteries have a long history. In the 15th century, the members of the city council in Genoa were chosen by drawing lots. Soon, the population began betting on the outcome – the first lottery was born. After heads of state quickly recognized the lucrative business model behind them, lotteries in many countries were placed under state control and remain so, either directly or indirectly via licensing, to this day. The charitable idea is only a marginal issue in the commercial lottery business. But alongside commercial lotteries, there are also purely charitable lotteries whose proceeds are dedicated exclusively to charitable purposes. A well-known example is the Spanish Christmas lottery "El Gordo", the majority of the proceeds of which go towards supporting social programs and charitable causes.

20 years of “Das gute Los” in Austria

In collaboration with the Fundraising Association Austria, several non-profit organizations in Austria founded the charitable joint lottery "Das gute Los" in the mid-2000s. The guiding principle behind it was to minimize risk and effort through joint organization and thus raise donations for social causes with the greatest possible efficiency. In Austria, the concept dates back to the period after the Second World War, when non-profit organizations were given the opportunity to raise funds for their work through a number lottery. In 1949, the War Victims and Disabled Lottery was initiated, followed shortly thereafter by the Boy Scouts, SOS Children's Villages, the Blind Lottery, and others. To this day, this exception under the Gambling Act allows associations, subject to strict controls, to hold one lottery per year.

28 million euros for a good cause and 30,000 winners

As a non-profit lottery, "Das gute Los" has been making an important and consistent contribution to Austrian charitable donations for almost 20 years. The 2025 Spring Lottery, which is currently underway, will mark the 35th edition of this charitable lottery format. Since the initiative's founding, "Das gute Los" has raised a total of around €28 million, which has benefited child protection, research, social assistance, development cooperation, and even animal welfare. During this time, over 30,000 winners have enjoyed top-class prizes from the initiative's numerous committed business partners – including Philharmonic gold coins, relaxing wellness holidays, annual shopping, or electric cars as the main prizes. Last year alone, "Das gute Los" recorded donations of around €1.9 million from the spring and summer lotteries. "Especially in times when many NPOs have come under severe pressure due to the wave of inflation in recent years, a diversification of donation channels and creative approaches are needed. The good lottery ticket is an exciting option for donors - this is also evident in the consistently high participation. Every ticket simultaneously supports non-profit organizations and their social services," emphasizes Ruth Williams, Managing Director of the Fundraising Association Austria and the Association for NPO Management - the main organizer of the lottery, and adds: "In addition to the special opportunity to win great prizes with an act of generosity, every ticket purchase is also tax-deductible as a donation!" For tickets and further information about the spring lottery, see https://das-gute-los.at/ .