Lotteries, scratch cards, sports betting and online gambling have been attracting more and more popularity throughout Europe in recent years. Just a glance at lottery companies’ increased revenue shows the extent of this.
In Ireland, the National Lottery’s sales increased by nearly eight per cent in 2008. La Française des Jeux, the French national lottery, had a record turnover of €10bn; Germany’s equivalent turned over €7bn in the same period. In the United Kingdom, national lottery operator Camelot’s sales increased of 3.6 per cent during the first six months of the 2010 financial year alone.
“Usually, at times of crisis, people do not stop gambling, hoping for better days,” according to an expert quoted in Le Figaro. A survey conducted by Agence France Presse shows that French people spend about €72m every day on gambling – an increase of more than 50 per cent in just eight years.
In Ireland, two-thirds of adults regularly play National Lottery games, according to the Irish Times. A report by the National Lottery shows that in 2009, an average of €183 per capita was spent. In the same period, 119 new retail outlets were added, thus making ‘the lotto’ more accessible throughout the country.
And thanks to the internet, many people don't even need to visit their local shop every week to play their numbers. Indeed, when the lottery was expanded with interactive services in the United Kingdom, player numbers increased significantly, according to figures from Camelot.
It’s amusing now to think that until the middle of the 20th century, lottery games were illegal in most of European countries. Now, they are often seen as ‘soft’ forms of gambling that are assumed to have few negative effects, according to a report by chartered psychologists Mark Griffiths and Richard Wood.
“We play lottery every week and we always use the same numbers,” said one couple from Germany. “We are afraid to see our numbers drawn on the day we don't play. That's why we keep playing.”
At the same time, they feel that they are not completely wasting their money, as about 40 per cent of the profit made by the German lottery company goes to charity (and for the maintenance of statues and monuments, among many other things).
Indeed, in most European countries, the lottery is often associated with charity, as much of the funds raised are channeled to good causes. In the United Kingdom, since 1994 more than £25bn has been given away to support charitable organisations (for the funding of creation of arts centres, health awareness, etc.). In Ireland, €3.4bn has been raised by the National Lottery to support initiatives in the areas of the arts, welfare, sports and the Irish language since 1987.
But are people really playing in the knowledge that they’re supporting worthy causes – or because they fear missing out on the big jackpot?
Céline Loriou is a French student currently studying for a BA in Journalism at Dubin City University.
