Swiss spend less on trying to beat the odds
For the first time in six years the Swiss last year spent less on trying to win the lottery and on other betting games.
The Federal Statistics Office on Wednesday reported that turnover in the industry was SFr2.73 billion ($2.6 billion) – SFr70 million or 2.5 per cent less than in the record year of 2007.
It said this represented SFr360 per head of the population (SFr374 in 2006).
The Statistics Office also noted that the most popular lottery was Swiss Lotto, where turnover had increased from SFr413 million in 2006 to SFr569 million in 2007, an increase of 37.8 per cent).
Turnover in Switzerland for the Euro Millions lottery declined by 24.2 per cent from SFr545 million to SFr413 million.
The organisations that run lotteries paid out SFr523 million into cantonal lottery and sports funds as well as into sport associations.
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