Lottery gambling is legal in Estonia and operates under the Gambling Act passed on October 15, 2008, which merged the provisions regulating lottery as one type of gambling game together with other gambling games in the same Act (1). The right to organize a lottery is granted to a trustworthy person that meets the requirements of the Act and has received an operating permit for organising lotteries (2).
Lotteries in Estonia can only be organized for charitable purposes, with lotto, keno, bingo and scratchcard lotteries mostly offered by state-owned Eesti Loto, which was established in 1991 (1). Eesti Loto may be organized by a public limited company whose share capital amounts to at least 1,000,000 euros and all of whose shares are held by the Estonian state, with such companies also organizing lotteries for non-profit associations and foundations (2).
"Although lottery has its peculiarities when compared to other gambling games, merging of the two separate Acts proved expedient because general provisions are common for all types of gambling games, as are the bases for exercising supervision."
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board serves as the regulator of gambling in Estonia, overseeing licensing and ensuring compliance with the Act (2). The profits from Eesti Loto are distributed with 32 percent going to science and education, 22 percent to the Olympic Committee, 10 percent to other sports projects, 32 percent to welfare projects, and 4 percent to cultural projects, while the legal age for playing lotteries in Estonia is 16 years (1).
Source:
https://www.riigikogu.ee/en/sitting-reviews/riigikogu-passed-new-gambling-act/
https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/515012016007/consolide
Last updated: 16-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
