Winning lottery figure slashes jackpot of another winner, attorney insists on entire prize for second lottery contestant
Rewritten Article:
With a Twist of Unlucky Luck: Lottohelden's 1-Rule Controversy
Article written by Timm Schaffner, edited by Angela Burke, Published on: 03.03.2025. Updated on: 29.04.2025.
Last weekend, lawyer Jobst Ehrentraut shed light on a peculiar case involving a client who bagged the jackpot prize in Lottohelden's '6 aus 45' secondary lottery, but received only half the winnings. Instead of the expected 1.2 million euros, the client received a measly 600,000 euros. What caused this unsavory twist in this lucky player's life?
Jackpot Halved? Not So Fast!
According to Ehrentraut, his client won the jackpot and should have bagged 1.2 million euros. However, the client only saw 600,000 euros in her account, claims the lawyer on LinkedIn. The reason for this, Ehrentraut alleges, is Lottohelden's so-called "1-rule." This rule theoretically allows the provider to add another winner to a specific prize class, thereby lowering the payout ratio to 50%.
Ehrentraut believes the winnings are not distributed in line with state quotas but artificially reduced, which he finds "surprising" and not legally binding under German law (§ 307 BGB).
Lottohelden CEO's Counterstrike
Just a few hours after Ehrentraut posted his take on LinkedIn, Lottohelden CEO Magnus von Zitzewitz didn't hesitate to respond. Von Zitzewitz accused Ehrentraut of a lack of knowledge of the facts and pointed out that the winnings from secondary lotteries are based on the results of the primary lottery.
On December 15, 2024, there was a jackpot winner in the primary lottery, hence the player would have won only half the jackpot if they had joined the primary lottery. Since participating in a secondary lottery is essentially a bet on the primary lottery's quotas, this argument seems plausible.
Bet with a Twist: The Risky Business of Secondary Lotteries
In Germany, participating in secondary lotteries is considered a form of illegal gambling. The Consumer Center cautions against this risky form of gambling.
Most providers claim they can legally operate on the German market without a German license, due to the EU's freedom of services. Several cases are still pending before the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to decide this matter.
Due to the ambiguous legal situation, players are usually protected in court judgments. For example, in 2024, a 39-year-old woman won 106,000 euros in a secondary lottery. Despite the accusation of participating in illegal gambling, a court ruling protected her, stating she had played the lottery legally.
Lottohelden's New Business Venture
In another comment, von Zitzewitz explained that Lottohelden is planning to launch a new business venture, serving as the CEO of an independent division that will operate separately from the one offering secondary lotteries.
Unlike its current business model, Lottohelden will now mediate players directly to primary lotteries, rather than offering secondary lotteries.
The curious case between Ehrentraut's client and Lottohelden is still unfolding. It remains unclear whether the application of the +1 rule is legal under German law. To answer that question, we must examine aspects such as fairness, transparency, contractual terms, and whether the manipulation of payout ratios could be illegal.
In simple terms, for the +1 rule to be considered fair and legal, it must not unfairly disadvantage players, be transparent, and not alter the payout ratios without proper authorization. However, only a careful and comprehensive examination of the terms and conditions in question, as well as the broader legal context, will provide a definitive answer. In the meantime, it would be wise to seek legal advice to better understand the implications of such a rule.
- Other3-rule controversies have surfaced in the past regarding casino-culture, with critics arguing that it is not transparent and potentially unfair to players, similar to disputes seen in gambling settings such as casino-games or lotteries.
- In the casino-and-gambling industry, many personalities have emerged who have pursued legal battles against operators, claiming they have not received their rightful winnings due to hidden rules like Lottohelden's 1-rule, leading to calls for increased transparency and fairness in the sector.
- The casino-culture surrounding secondary lotteries in Germany has been a subject of controversy, with questions arising about the legality of the +1 rule and its potential impact on players, similar to debates surrounding the fairness of casino-games or the ethics of lotteries in other jurisdictions.
