Lotto.nl

Lotto.nl Review

National lotteries have been funding sports and other government projects for years. Lotto.nl is an online lottery site that is officially operated by the government in the Netherlands. It offers two lotteries once a week, though I will say someone did dream up something a little different. The bonus ball is a color versus the usual numbers. Players can purchase tickets at the official outlets or through their website. The only thing is – you have to be a Netherlands citizen to play.

The Games at Lotto.nl

For Lotto.nl’s main lotto game (Speluitleg), players choose 6 balls from between 1 and 45 and a bonus ball. The bonus ball is not numbered, but the colors – are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple. The jackpot does climb rapidly though still isn’t in the realms of US Powerball or Euro Millions. For an additional €1, players can add another game called Cijferspel. This is an automatically generated number for a draw up to €200,000. Both games are played on Saturday night weekly though they do have a Super Draw on the last Saturday of each month, doubling the prizes. They also offer subscriptions.

Which is better? TheLotter or Lotto NL? Read our TheLotter review to compare

Lotto.nl and Winning

Winnings up to €50 can be claimed at any outlet, though some will pay up to €449. For winnings up to €5,000, players have to complete a form & submit their identity document (for the Netherlands) to the national foundation Sportotalisator. Lotto.nl or I should say the government, takes 29% off the top for taxes. For winnings over €5,000, players have to go to their office to claim their prize physically.

Double Dipping

I do have an issue with the tax. This is a lottery officially run by the government of the Netherlands. Fifty percent of the cost of lottery tickets already goes to sports and other government projects including health and culture. So, how come they take an additional 29% off the top of all winnings over €449? These two lottos offered by Lotto.nl are governed by the Kansspelautoriteit – an official part of the Netherlands government. The main Netherland’s lotto has been around since the mid-’90s though it has morphed through a few changes.

Customer Complaints

Maybe that’s one of the reasons some of the scammers have jumped on the bandwagon. Lotto.nl is one of the lotteries that is used by scammers who offer “you’ve been chosen from a selected group of email addresses to win a jackpot.” This is the ole we take your identity scam though it also looks like it’s used for asking for service fees upfront to get prizes. Either way, remember that you don’t win if you don’t play! If you receive an email saying you’ve won – STOP! Press delete!

Lotto.nl’s Customer Service

Contacting Lotto NL is a little weak. They offer a snail mail address, online form, and toll-free telephone (for people in the Netherlands) available from 9:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday. There is no live chat or direct email address. Lotto NL also is all over social media – but only in Dutch. I did get a chuckle over the fact that they provide directions by car and public transport to get to their office. Lotto NL also quotes a bunch of statistics on customer service satisfaction.

Why You Should Register with Lotto NL

Pros:

Official Lottery Site

Straightforward Games

Love the Colored Bonus Ball

Why You Shouldn’t Register with Lotto NL

Cons:

Only for the Dutch

29% tax on Winnings

Only Once a Week

Is Lotto NL Legit?

If you are Dutch, then this could be a good option instead of having to get out to an outlet to purchase your lottery tickets. If you are not from the Netherlands, then Lotto.nl isn’t the place to play. You can’t win, and that is the point of playing lotteries. I also think that the 29% tax is getting a little greedy.

The team gives Lotto.nl a thumbs down for the rest of the world and a reserved thumbs up for people in the Netherlands. It is legit, and I guess people are helping sports and other government initiatives.