Nationale Postcode Loterij


The Nationale Postcode Loterij is the biggest charity lottery in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1989 by Novamedia, a marketing agency that sets up and runs charity lotteries. As required by the Dutch government, forty percent of the proceeds of this lottery are donated amongst 81 charities, which, in 2010 amounted to over 270 million euros.
Prize winners are the lot owners whose postal code, a code that forms part of the winners' residential address, has been drawn. Hence even if not participating one may still find out that one would have won had one played. Anticipations of post-decisional regret influence decisions to play the Postcode lottery. Until 2012 it was prohibited to use the postal code for commercial purposes, and in that year, the government allowed the postal code to be used commercially.
Novamedia has expanded the Postcode Lottery format in several European countries:
Several notable individuals endorse the lottery, and have been appointed ambassadors, including:
Ambassadors
International ambassadors
Deceased ambassadors
Figures are in millions of euros:
  • 2000 - 159.0
  • 2001 - 177.1
  • 2002 - 203.3
  • 2003 - 217.4
  • 2004 - 225.2
  • 2005 - 212.5
  • 2006 - 216.7
  • 2007 - 226.0
  • 2008 - 244.4
  • 2009 - 256.5
  • 2011 - 270.5

    Charities

Charities receiving proceeds include: