In Memoriam: Lothar Lammers, father of the modern lotto game, passes away at 86

Basel, Switzerland, 12 July—Lothar Lammers, widely recognized as the father of the modern lotto game, and winner of the WLA Guy Simonis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, passed away at his home yesterday in Münster. He was 86.

Lothar LammersBorn in Höxter, Germany in 1926, Lothar Lammers studied law and applied economics at the Universities of Cologne and Göttingen. He spent his early career at the West German soccer pool, Westdeutsche Fussball-Toto. Together with a colleague from the soccer pool, mathematician Peter Weiand, he formed what is now Westdeutsche Lotterie GmbH in 1955 and launched the first modern 6/49 lotto game in the same year.

As Managing Director of Westdeutsche Lotterie GmbH from 1955 through to 1986, Lothar Lammers nurtured the new lotto game through to maturity, pioneering a series of successful enhancements that were quickly emulated throughout the worldwide lottery community, such as twice-weekly draws and lotto jackpot rollovers.

In addition to his achievements with the 6/49 lotto game, Lothar Lammers introduced the first special lottery to fund the Olympics Games. Under his leadership, Westdeutsche Lotterie was also the first lottery to screen an hour-long television lottery entertainment show, and the first to offer lotto-style betting on horse races.

Lothar Lammers was also the first lottery director to operate casinos, serving as Managing Director of the casino operator Westdeutsche Spielbanken GmbH from 1976 to 1986, Bremer Spielcasino GmbH from 1978 to 1986, and Westdeutsche Spielcasino Service GmbH from 1978 to 1986. In 1979, he was appointed Managing Director of his former employer Westdeutsche Fussball-Toto GmbH and its subsidiaries, holding that position until 1986. Lothar Lammers was also Chairman of the advertising, public relations and marketing committee of Germany's Lotto and Toto Bloc from 1965 to 1986, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Football Pool from 1985 to 1989.

Throughout his career, Lothar Lammers was a valued consultant to lottery and casino organizations worldwide. Elected to the Intertoto Executive Committee in 1980, he played a key role in organizing the Intertoto Congress in Aachen the same year. He served as a member of the Executive Committee until 1985, when he was elected President, holding the Intertoto presidency until 1989. Recognized for his dedication to the development of sports betting and its role in the sports economy, he was instrumental in the expansion of Intertoto in North America and Australasia. He was made an Honorary Member of Intertoto in 1989 and an Honorary Member of the WLA in 2000.

Germany awarded Lothar Lammers the Red Cross Order of Merit in 1978 and the Order of Merit 1st Class in 1984. Finland made him a member of the Order of the Lion in 1978, and he received France's Ordre National du Mérite in 1987. At the WLA Convention and Trade Show in Durban, South Africa in November 2004, Lothar Lammers received the WLA's Guy Simonis Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding service to the lottery industry.

The WLA joins with the European State Lottery and Toto Association and the entire world lottery community in mourning the passing of Lothar Lammers, the father of the modern Lotto game.

Source:

World Lottery Association

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