The Dutch lottery celebrates its 300th anniversary this year. But anyone buying a ticket today is often unaware of just how deep its roots go. The Belgian and Dutch gambling tradition is a mirror of its time.
Not in Amsterdam, not in Paris
In VPRO’s OVT programme, cultural historian and lottery expert Jeroen Salman talks about the origins of the modern lottery. He talks about the Grand-Place in Bruges, where the first public draw took place in 1441.
Not in Amsterdam, not in Paris, but in Bruges, in what used to be known as the Burgundian Netherlands, the beating heart of 15th-century Western Europe. The Bruges ‘lotinghe’ not only gave its name to the word ‘lottery’, it became the model for the whole of Europe.
We can therefore say that the lottery originated in Belgium, even though at the time Belgium had not yet been constituted.
‘A lottery also meant theatre, months of shows in town’
What surprised Salman himself was that the draws lasted for months and were held in public. In Haarlem, for example, torches were lit to keep them going even at night. The prizes were read out one by one, often accompanied by little personal phrases. This created suspense, but also entertainment and social interaction.
One woman wrote on her ticket:
‘I have the best reason to win the biggest prize. It’s been 8 years since I last slept with my husband.’
These few words gave colour to the draw, which continued day and night. It was public entertainment as well as a social ritual.
Children as guarantors of honesty
The neutrality of the draw was guaranteed by orphans. They were considered innocent and impartial. One child drew the ticket, the other drew the prize tag.
This system, according to Salman, was designed to give the public confidence. They were like a human notary: public, visible and honest.
No choice of number, no clean ticket
The system worked differently from today. You didn’t choose your own number; it was allocated to you. This often led to mistrust of the seller.
The method of distribution created an emotional bond with the number, with the seller, and in the event of loss, also with the question of guilt.
‘Anti-Semitism was hidden behind the losing tickets’
Salman highlights a painful historical detail. Most tickets were sold by Jewish merchants, who were excluded from the craft trades. Losses were quickly passed on to them.
In this way, the lottery became a vehicle for fuelling anti-Semitic sentiment. This shows that games of chance are not neutral: they reflect who is allowed to participate and who stays on the sidelines.
Criticism was already heard in the past: preachers warned against debt
Addiction is not a phenomenon of recent decades. In the eighteenth century, people were already worried about the passion for gambling. Preachers warned against borrowing money in order to participate.
According to Salman, the lottery was presented at the time as an alternative to dice and cards. But he is not sure that these other forms of gambling have really diminished.
Why the Belgian National Lottery has become a benchmark
Belgium has continued to build on the Bruges model: a public, transparent lottery with a collective goal. The National Lottery was born out of the Colonial Lottery of 1934. The first draw, on 18 October of that year, was to raise funds for the Belgian colony of Congo. In 1962, the name was changed to the National Lottery. Since then, profits have been donated to development aid and public causes in Belgium.
Participants choose not only the prize, but also the general interest. During disasters such as the Ruisbroek floods (1976), lotteries even played a crucial role in the relief effort.
Even today, the profits go to culture, sport, development cooperation and the fight against poverty. Belgium remains faithful to the 15th-century model based on public involvement, and intends to continue along this path, notably with projects such as the Heritage Lottery.
From chaos to control: how the Netherlands launched the State Lottery
In the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, the lottery had its heyday in the 17th century. But things got out of hand. Private and local lotteries sprang up everywhere. In 1726, the State intervened and founded the Loterie de la Généralité.
Not only was this a response to corruption and mistrust, it also served to generate revenue for the State. Today’s Dutch State Lottery is a direct result of this.
300 years of the State Lottery: celebrating between remembrance and warning
This year, the Netherlands is celebrating 300 years of the State Lottery. But it’s a celebration tinged with shadow. Yes, it is the oldest state-run game of chance in the world. Yes, it has brought stability and transparency.
But it was also born out of mistrust, out of the state’s desire to take control, and to collect money through the back door. It’s a celebration of control, rather than community.
Belgium, on the other hand, is not celebrating a jubilee, but confirming a course: participation is accessible, profits serve society, and public value takes precedence over commercial profit.