50 years of Swiss Lotto
50 years of Swiss Lotto
The birth of Swiss Lotto
The fact that the lottery balls started rolling in Switzerland on 10 January 1970 was partly attributable to the great success of the German lottery. This highly popular form of gaming had been introduced in a number of German federal states back in 1955. As it became evident that an increasing number of people in Switzerland were trying their luck in the German lottery, the “Sport-Toto-Gesellschaft”, the “Interkantonale Landeslotterie” (ILL), the “Société coopérative de la loterie” (SEVA) and the “Loterie Romande” recognized the need to create their own lottery. A real gem from the archive is the commentary given by Dr König and the images of the first Lotto draws – broadcast on Swiss television, just as they are today.
The «Schweizer Illustrierte» explains Swiss Lotto
The launch of Switzerland’s own lottery was also not lost on the magazine «Schweizer Illustrierte». In a special report published in January 1970, the magazine explained how easy it was to participate. What’s more, it reported that the initial lottery format of picking six balls out of a total of 40 was the result of comprehensive mathematical calculations.
