Lotteries in the Netherlands – Legal and Regulated

Written and fact-checked by the GamblingHolland.nl editorial team · Last updated August 2026 · Figures verified against Nederlandse Loterij and the Kansspelautoriteit · Editorial policy

How Dutch lotteries are regulated

Every official lottery in the Netherlands operates under a licence issued by the Kansspelautoriteit. A licence means verified draws, financial transparency and a legal obligation to put part of the turnover back into society. Only licensed organisations may run a nationwide lottery, which is what separates them from the offers you see advertised from abroad.

Two groups dominate. On one side sits Nederlandse Loterij, the state-owned operator behind Staatsloterij, Lotto, Eurojackpot, Lucky Day, Miljoenenspel and the official scratchcards. On the other are the charity lotteries, run by the non-profit Holding Nationale Goede Doelen Loterijen, which must donate at least 50% of turnover to approved causes.

The Dutch lotteries at a glance

State-licensed lotteries

Lotto

Lotto has been licensed since 1961 and draws every Saturday. You pick 6 numbers from 1 to 45 for €2, and prizes start at two correct numbers. The game was overhauled on 1 February 2025 and now runs a second machine, the Jackpotmachine, holding 11 black balls and one yellow one. If the yellow ball comes out, the jackpot falls that week whether or not anyone matched all six numbers, so it drops considerably more often than it used to. The jackpot starts at €1 million and climbs by €100,000 each week it stays unclaimed. On the last Saturday of the month there are two draws, known as Super Zaterdag. For €1 extra per ticket, Lotto XL adds a separate draw with prizes up to €1 million. Proceeds go to Dutch sport and other good causes.

Staatsloterij

Founded in 1726, the Staatsloterij is the oldest lottery in the Netherlands and among the oldest in the world. There is a draw on the 10th of every month, with three showpiece events: King's Day, 10 May, and the Oudejaarstrekking on 31 December, where the top prize can reach €30 million. Roughly one in two tickets wins something, though most wins are small. Staatsloterij is the one Dutch lottery that advertises its prizes net: the operator has already paid the gambling tax before the money reaches you.

Eurojackpot

Eurojackpot runs across 19 European countries, which is why the prize pool climbs so fast. You pick 5 numbers plus 2 bonus numbers for €2, with draws on Tuesday and Friday evening. The jackpot starts at €10 million and is capped at €120 million, the highest available in the Netherlands. It works on the same shared-pool principle as EuroMillions, which is not sold here but is often compared with it.

Lucky Day

A daily numbers game with a draw every evening at 19:00. You decide how many numbers to play, from one to ten, and how much to stake from €1.50 upward. The combination of the two sets the size of the prize you are playing for, which makes it the most flexible of the Dutch draws.

Krasloten

Scratchcards count as instant lotteries under Article 14a of the Betting and Gambling Act, and Nederlandse Loterij holds the only licence to sell them. Our page on Dutch scratchcards covers the current cards, prices and odds.

TOTO

TOTO sits within the same group but is a betting brand rather than a lottery. Set up by the KNVB in 1957 to generate money for football clubs, it now covers dozens of sports from €1 a stake, with live betting and streaming. See our review of TOTO Casino and Sports, the TOTO Sport brand, or our overview of sports betting in the Netherlands.

Charity lotteries

Charity lotteries are legally required to hand at least half their turnover to approved causes. That obligation is the reason their odds are lower than the state lotteries: a bigger share of every ticket leaves the prize pool.

Nationale Postcode Loterij

Started in 1989 and now the largest charity lottery in the country. Tickets are tied to your postcode, so prizes land on whole streets at once rather than with individuals. Television formats like Miljoenenjacht and Deal or No Deal are part of the package. Worth knowing before you sign up: participation runs as a subscription, the odds on the headline prizes are long, and some extra draws carry an additional charge. Read more on our Postcode Loterij page.

VriendenLoterij

Focused on health and wellbeing causes, with players choosing which charity their contribution supports, from Alzheimer Nederland to the Hartstichting. On 16 August 2021 the BankGiro Loterij, founded in 1961 as the Girolotterij, merged into VriendenLoterij, so BankGiro no longer exists as a separate lottery.

Jantje Beton Loterij

Run in cooperation with Dutch primary schools, raising money for playgrounds and outdoor activities. Pupils sell the tickets and half the proceeds stay with the participating school.

Lot of Happiness

On 30 September 2025 the health lottery Care-a-Lot merged into Lot of Happiness, and both now run under the Lot of Happiness name. Both were operated by FAIRSHARE Nederland under the same KSA licence. Care-a-Lot's final regular draw took place on 1 September 2025, and existing participants were transferred automatically.

Tax on lottery prizes in 2026

This is where most people get caught out. Dutch lottery prizes are not simply tax-free. Gambling tax of 37.8% applies to any prize above €449 as of 1 January 2026, up from 34.2% in 2025. What differs is who pays it and whether the advertised figure is gross or net.

• Staatsloterij and Miljoenenspel advertise net prizes. Win a million and a million reaches your account, because the operator has already settled the tax.
• Postcode Loterij, VriendenLoterij and most other draws advertise gross prizes. The tax comes off before payout, so a €100,000 cheque on television is worth roughly €62,200 in practice.
• Either way, you file nothing yourself. A Dutch-licensed lottery handles the tax on your behalf. That is only different if you win at an operator without a Dutch licence, where the responsibility falls on you.
• Prizes of €449 or less are exempt entirely.

Full detail is on our gambling tax page.

Frequently asked questions

GamblingHolland.nl is an independent information platform and does not sell lottery tickets. Playing a lottery costs money and the odds on headline prizes are long, so only spend what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, consider CRUKS self-exclusion or the free helpline on 0800-1995, and find support through AGOG. 18+.