Funding the Flame: Impact of Lotteries on Europe’s Olympic Movement
Brussels, 3 February 2026 – As Europe prepares for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, The European Lotteries (EL) underscore the essential role national lotteries play in sustaining the Olympic movement across Europe — a role that is both long-standing and indispensable. [1]
Data from EL members confirms the scale of this contribution. Over 80 percent of EL members support the Olympic movement, where nearly 80 percent provide direct support to athletes and teams. This translates into 123 million EUR allocated to direct funding for athletes and high-performance programmes, complemented by 627 million EUR in indirect support for grassroots sport, infrastructure, and long-term development. Two-thirds of EL members describe their impact on the Olympic movement as high to essential. [2]
The combination of elite and grassroots investment makes lottery funding unique. National lotteries support athletes at every stage of their journey - from local clubs to Olympic competitions - while ensuring that sport remains accessible, inclusive, and rooted in the heart of every community. More than half of EL Members also support the Paralympic and Special Olympics movements, reinforcing sport’s role as a driver of inclusion and equal opportunity.
At a time when the costs of hosting and competing in major sporting events continue to rise, lottery funding plays a critical stabilising role, ensuring that public-interest sport programmes can thrive independently of commercial pressures. It allows sport to thrive sustainably, while safeguarding its core values.
”Behind every successful Olympic Games lie years of investment in athletes, programmes, infrastructure, and communities. This year, sustained funding once again supports athletes’ long-term preparation, specialised facilities, and grassroots winter sport across Europe. National lotteries are proud to stand behind the Olympic movement. Without crucial lottery funding, the Games would not inspire so many - or be the success that they are today.”
As the Winter Olympic Games begin on Friday 6 February 2026, EL and its members reaffirm their commitment to supporting sport for the benefit of society and future generations.
Impact of Lotteries on Europe's Olympic Movement
Notes
[1] The 2026 Winter Olympics, commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. https://www.olympics.com/en/sports/winter-olympics
[2] 82% of EL members support the Olympic movement (based on 38 responses); 79% of EL members provide direct support to athletes/teams (based on 38 responses); 123mln EUR allocated to direct support (based on 11 responses); 627mln EUR allocated to indirect support (base on 14 responses); 2/3 of EL members consider their impact on the Olympic movement as high to essential (based on 38 responses)
Definitions
Olympic Movement: Led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic movement is a global effort to promote sport, education, and culture as a means of fostering peace, friendship, and respect among nations through the Olympic Games.
Olympic Games: The Olympic Games are the world’s leading international multi-sport event featuring the best athletes from around the globe. They are held every four years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games, and include a wide range of sports disciplines. The Olympics are governed by the IOC and emphasise excellence, friendship, and respect among nations.
Paralympic Games: The Paralympic Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual, and intellectual impairments. They are held every four years, immediately following the Olympic Games, and feature elite athletes competing at the highest level in sports adapted for various disabilities. The Paralympics are also governed by the IOC.
Special Olympic Games: The Special Olympics is a global organisation that provides year-round sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Its focus is on inclusion, participation, and personal development rather than elite performance. Unlike the Paralympics, the Special Olympics are not tied to the Olympic Games schedule; the Special Olympics World Games generally alternate between summer and winter games, in two-year cycles, recurring every fourth year.
Direct Support: Financial or material contributions provided specifically to Olympic athletes, teams, or committees (e.g., sponsorships, training grants, equipment).
Indirect Support: Contributions that benefit the Olympic movement without being earmarked for athletes or committees, such as funding grassroots sports programmes, infrastructure, or general sports development.
Support can have different forms:
- Subventions (Good Causes): Allocations of lottery proceeds to public-interest projects, including sports development and/or
- Sponsorship: Commercial agreements where the lottery brand is visibly associated with Olympic athletes, teams, or events.
Contact:
Lucy Lenaers-Mathieson, EL Communications Officer, E-mail: lucy.mathieson@european-lotteries.eu
