PRESS RELEASE

Members of the European Lotteries (EL) celebrate 2024 Olympic and Paralympic success: Supporting 347 gold medals in Paris

Brussels, 9 September 2024 – By financially supporting national Olympic and Paralympic athletes, EL members have played an important role in contributing to the remarkable success during the games. With 127 gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and 220 gold medals at the Paralympic Games, this extraordinary achievement underscores the ongoing commitment of EL and its members to the advancement of sports across Europe and the sustainability of the lottery model. Congratulations are extended to all athletes who competed in the games.

In 2022 alone, EL members contributed €22.2 billion to the public good, with almost €2 billion specifically allocated to supporting sports initiatives. With sponsorship figures to sports and athletes directly not fully captured in the €2 billion, the total amount contributed is likely even higher in the second part of 2023 and especially during an Olympic year in 2024.

European lotteries have a long and proud history of supporting national Olympic Committees and sport organisations. Some of EL’s members were even founded to support sport. The ongoing financial contributions enable athletes to train and compete at the highest levels, reinforcing a sense of unity and shared success across Europe. The current regulatory model for lotteries should therefore be protected as a sustainable way of supporting sports.

Beyond the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympics games, later this month (23-30 September), EL will again be a proud official Partner of the European Week of Sport. This European Commission led initiative reaffirms a commitment to sport - promoting sport integrity, physical exercise and fostering healthier lifestyles – making a real difference in the lives of millions of Europeans.

ENDS

Notes

The European Lotteries association (EL) is the European umbrella organisation of entities operating national lotteries and other games of chance, including sports betting. The members of EL are operating their services for the public benefit.  EL is the largest and most representative lottery and gaming sector’s organization in Europe, present in 39 European countries with a total of 70 members, including all EU member states (50 members are in the EU and 20 non-EU member states).  EL stands for the sound and sustainable activity model for the benefit of society, based on the values of forward-thinking, responsibility and integrity. EL members only operate in those jurisdictions in which they are licensed by the state and where they comply with the legal requirements (e. g. anti-money laundering, responsible gaming policies, etc), and act as the most responsible operators in each jurisdiction. In 2022, EL members secured €22.2 billion for society and directly supported valuable projects related to sport, cultural heritage, art, health care, individuals with disabilities/disadvantages, education, science and many other areas. It is estimated that around half of the European adult population annually participates in the games that are offered by the EL members. More information available here https://www.european-lotteries.org/

For further information:

Lucy Mathieson, EL Communication Officer, Lucy.mathieson@european-lotteries.eu, +32 470 847573

THE EUROPEAN LOTTERIES

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