State Lotteries in Germany: Rules, Taxes and Odds

Lotteries in Germany are regulated forms of gambling. You can play only through authorised organisers and intermediaries, and online participation should be checked against the official Whitelist of the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). The key points for newcomers are these: you must be 18 or older, winnings from ordinary cash lotteries are generally paid without income tax, and the chance of hitting the Lotto 6aus49 jackpot is roughly 1 in 140 million.

Who runs lotteries in Germany

The German lottery market is organised through the federal states. The state lottery companies of the 16 federal states are united in the Deutscher Lotto- und Totoblock (DLTB), while authorised online intermediaries and organisers are listed in the official GGL Whitelist.

The logic of regulation is simple: the state limits the group of legal operators, oversees the protection of minors and players, and directs part of lottery revenue to public purposes. It is therefore better to buy a ticket not from a random website, but:

• at an official Lotto-Annahmestelle;
• on the website of your federal state’s lottery company;
• through an authorised intermediary listed in the GGL Whitelist.

If a website promises participation in a foreign lottery from Germany or disguises gambling as a “guaranteed win”, stop and check its licence.

Who can participate

State lotteries in Germany have an age limit: participation starts at 18. This applies to traditional number lotteries, additional draws and online play.

German citizenship is not in itself a mandatory requirement. What usually matters more is where you are actually participating, the rules of the particular state operator, and age and identity verification. For online play, registration and identity checks are required specifically to comply with youth and player-protection requirements.

How to buy a ticket

The most familiar method is to fill in a paper Spielschein at a Lotto-Annahmestelle. These outlets can be found in kiosks, supermarkets, tobacconists and specialist betting shops.

Online participation works differently:

• choose a federal state or authorised intermediary;
• register and verify your identity;
• pay the stake and any service fee;
• receive electronic confirmation of participation.

Fees, betting deadlines and subscription details can vary between federal states. Check the rules of the particular operator before paying.

How winnings are paid out

Small winnings can usually be collected at the outlet where the ticket was bought, provided the amount is within that operator’s limits. Large winnings are handled through the lottery company: the ticket is checked, the winner confirms their identity, and the money is then transferred to a bank account.

A winner does not have to become a public figure. In Germany, large winnings are generally processed without revealing the winner’s identity in the media, although an operator may publish the federal state, amount and date of the win.

Do you have to pay tax on winnings?

An ordinary lottery cash prize in Germany is generally not subject to Einkommensteuer, because a random prize is not considered taxable income. This does not mean that there are no taxes associated with lotteries: organisers pay taxes and levies under the rules for lotteries and betting.

It is important to distinguish between the prize itself and what happens to the money afterwards:

• interest, dividends or investment income from the winnings may be taxable;
• giving part of the winnings to another person may have Schenkungsteuer implications;
• annuity payments or special payout formats are best clarified separately with a tax adviser or the Finanzamt.

In other words, the jackpot itself usually arrives without income-tax withholding, but anything that happens to the money afterwards may become a tax matter.

Popular lotteries

Lotto 6aus49

Lotto 6aus49 is the classic German number lottery. The player chooses 6 numbers from 49, while the Superzahl is determined by the last digit of the ticket number. Draws take place twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The top prize is won with “6 correct numbers + Superzahl”. According to LOTTO.de, the probability of this outcome is 1 in 139,838,160. The lowest winning category is “2 correct numbers + Superzahl”; it has a fixed prize.

Eurojackpot

Eurojackpot is an international European lottery in which Germany and other countries participate. The player chooses 5 numbers from 50 and 2 Eurozahlen from 12.

Draws take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings in Helsinki. In 2026, the jackpot is capped at €120 million. From Germany, participation should be limited to authorised German operators or intermediaries.

GlücksSpirale

GlücksSpirale focuses not only on a one-off prize, but also on long-term payments. Depending on the draw rules, the top prize can be paid as a regular annuity or as a large lump sum.

Part of this lottery’s funds traditionally goes to projects serving the public good, including sport, social programmes and cultural initiatives.

KENO

KENO is a daily number lottery. The player chooses how many numbers to mark, and this determines the participation cost, prize class and chance of winning. The format suits people who do not want to wait several days for the next Lotto 6aus49 draw.

Spiel 77 and SUPER 6

Spiel 77 and SUPER 6 are additional lotteries often added to the main ticket. In them, the result depends not on the numbers selected but on the Spielschein number. Before enabling them automatically, check the cost: a small extra charge per draw can quickly become substantial when playing regularly.

Scratch cards and social lotteries

Besides number lotteries, Germany has instant tickets and themed lotteries, such as Deutsche Fernsehlotterie. These products may have their own rules, stake amounts, prize formats and ticket-claim deadlines.

How Lotto 6aus49 works

In Lotto 6aus49, you mark 6 numbers out of 49. The additional Superzahl, a digit from 0 to 9, is taken from the ticket number. Therefore, winning the top prize requires not only guessing all six balls, but also matching the Superzahl.

The prize categories in 2026 are as follows:

Category	Matching numbers	Odds
1	6 numbers + Superzahl	1 in 139,838,160
2	6 numbers	1 in 15,537,573
3	5 numbers + Superzahl	1 in 542,008
4	5 numbers	1 in 60,223
5	4 numbers + Superzahl	1 in 10,324
6	4 numbers	1 in 1,147
7	3 numbers + Superzahl	1 in 567
8	3 numbers	1 in 63
9	2 numbers + Superzahl	1 in 76

Prize amounts, apart from the fixed lowest category, depend on the draw: how much money was collected, how many winners there were in each category, and whether the jackpot rolled over.

What to consider before taking part

• Check whether the operator or intermediary is listed in the GGL Whitelist.
• Do not buy tickets from websites that promise lottery participation without German authorisation.
• Compare the stake, Bearbeitungsgebühr and additional games.
• Do not treat the jackpot as a financial plan: the chance of the top prize is extremely small.
• Keep a paper ticket until you have checked the result and the claim period has ended.
• If you win a large prize, first contact the lottery company, your bank and, if necessary, a tax adviser.

In brief

State lotteries in Germany are legal and strictly regulated, but they are still gambling with a low probability of a large win. The safe way to participate is to play only with authorised operators, set limits, avoid tickets from dubious intermediaries, and understand the tax and banking consequences of a large payout in advance.