The Official Lotteries around the world, in their different business models, are structured, highly professional and profitable companies.
Its role is of fundamental importance in several aspects of society, among them, the generation of direct and indirect jobs, the increase in tax collection, the fight against illegal gaming and the generation of resources for investment in social projects.
The first reports of the creation of an official lottery to subsidize social welfare come from 90 years BC, when the then Emperor of China founded his Official Lottery to generate funds that financed the construction of the Great Wall of China.
More recently, with businesses based on high-performance technology, we have examples such as the New York Lottery, which in 2020 alone allocated US$3.38 billion to 326 schools that benefited approximately 150,000 students in New York State alone.
In Brazil, the Minas Gerais State Lottery, operated by Intralot do Brasil, stands out in a still developing national market.
In 2020, at the epicenter of COVID-19's health crisis, the Official Lottery of the State of Minas Gerais allocated R$33 million (US$6m) to the Health Department of the State of Minas Gerais to support actions to fight the pandemic.
In 2021, nearly R$2.7 million (US$ 495k)were allocated to the creation of diaper and sanitary napkin factories in prisons in the State of Minas Gerais in the “Absorbing Dignity” project.
There is no doubt about the important social and economic role that Official Lotteries play, not only as a passive income generator for public authorities, but also as an important driving force in local economic development.
Thus, it is expected that the federal and state executive and legislative powers give priority to this agenda and that the development of the Brazilian gaming market sets an example for the world.
Gustavo Mantovani
Director of Management and Operations of Intralot Brasil
