The Spanish and Mexican national lotteries, Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (LAE) and Lotería Nacional (Lotenal), have entered into an agreement to launch a joint-draw weekly lottery game, ahead of a more ambitious plan to introduce a EuroMillions style multi-jurisdictional LatinoMillions offering.
The agreement for a joint Spanish-Mexican lottery game was signed this week by LAE President Gonzalo Fernández and Lotenal General Manager Benjamín González Roaro on the sideline of the 12th CIBELAE Congress, a grouping of Ibero-American state lottery corporations representing 14 Latin American countries plus Spain and Portugal.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties will work together to develop a joint draw game in line with their national legislations, while LAE will also provide its experience and expertise to Lotenal, particularly in the area of new technologies.
It was also agreed at the CIBELAE Congress to work towards the launch of a LatinoMillions lottery game in 2010, similar to the hugely popular EuroMillions super jackpot game and based on Spain’s weekly lottery game, Gordo.
The intention is to launch LatinoMillions in the course of 2010, but is subject to the amendment of participating countries respective legislations and the implementation of technologies to enable a multi-jurisdictional lottery.
In related news, the Mexican government this week announced an increase in the level of taxation on games of chance and lotteries from 20 to 30%. The tax hike came as part of a wider review of taxation which included an increase in the level of VAT and the introduction of a 3% internet tax.