Lottery Sales in Europe Grew to Almost €98 Billion in 2023

The European Lotteries Association (EL) has released its Report on the lottery sector in Europe for 2023, outlining key figures in the region’s lottery industry.

The report highlights that the sector remains stable and resilient. In 2023, total lottery sales from EL members reached €97.8 billion, marking a 4.5% increase from 2022 and a nearly 25% jump compared to 2019.

This sales growth helped EL operators generate a gross gaming revenue (GGR*) of €43.6 billion, reflecting a 4.1% year-over-year rise.

Despite the increasing shift toward digital lottery purchases, traditional retail sales continue to dominate: 

• Land-based ticket sales generated €38.2 billion in GGR
• While online sales accounted for €5.3 billion

Draw-based lotteries remain the most popular category, making up 48.7% of total lottery product sales in 2023:

More than half of the industry’s GGR — €22 billion — was allocated to charitable and social initiatives by EL members in 2023.

EL is the largest lottery association in Europe, representing 70 members across 39 countries.

* GGR is a financial metric used to measure gross earnings, calculated by subtracting total winnings from total bets.