The Loterie Romande has never redistributed so much money as in 2021. Thanks to rising revenues and the use of part of its reserves, it paid out a record amount of 235 million to social, sports and cultures of French-speaking Switzerland.
These payouts were made possible by an increase in gross gaming revenue (GGR), i.e. amounts wagered minus winnings paid out to players. This reached 397 million last year, an increase of 6.1% compared to 2020, the Loterie romande indicated on Tuesday.
The company also explains that it has drawn on part of its reserves built up in 2020 to cope with the effects of the pandemic in the long term. This represents a sum of six million francs, which is added to the operating profit.
This decision was taken by the board of directors to strengthen support for the beneficiary associations, whether they are active in the social, cultural, sports, but also research, education and environment.
"These associations, which have also suffered due to the health situation, will need significant support in the coming months to be able to carry out their projects and continue to create this link which is so important in our society", remarks the president of the association. Loterie Romande, Jean-René Fournier, quoted in the group's annual report.
Help for bistros
Still on the subject of the pandemic, the Loterie Romande indicates that it carried out “a solidarity action” last year to help the cafes and restaurants which offer its games. An amount of approximately 3.5 million francs was thus distributed to more than 800 establishments.
The Loterie Romande also explains that its 2,400 points of sale benefited last year from remuneration in the form of commissions for the sale of games. These reached 75 million francs, enough to ensure "a decisive contribution for local shops and the local economy", says the company.
Scratching seduces
While more and more players are registering on the online gaming platform (+8% in 2021), the vast majority continue to favor cafes, restaurants, kiosks and local shops. The share of online gaming accounted for 13.7% of total gross gaming revenue last year, up from 11.7% in 2020.
By type of game, the Loterie Romande notes that scratch card games were particularly popular last year (+7.3% of GGR), thanks in particular to the launch of new tickets.
Draw games also show an increase (+3.1%), but not Swiss Loto (-7.7%). This decrease is explained by a lower frequency of "long cycles". These make it possible to offer significant jackpots and arouse more interest among players.
Protective measures
Finally, Loterie Romande points out that it has put in place protective measures for players. Online for example, the player has the obligation to set loss limits for certain games. Risk gamblers are also detected via Playscan, which assesses the duration and frequency of online gambling. The company also excludes over-indebted players who fail to meet their financial obligations.
"The Loterie Romande must take up a permanent challenge: to be both attractive but above all responsible in order to limit the risks associated with gambling as much as possible", summarizes its general manager Jean-Luc Moner-Banet, quoted in the press release. .
https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/loterie-romande--une-redistribution-record-en-2021/47618442