The Postcode Lottery’s €463.9 Million 2026 prize pool is waiting!

Written and fact-checked by the GamblingHolland.nl editorial team · Last updated September 2026 · Sources: Nationale Postcode Loterij, September 2026 · Affiliate disclosure · Editorial policy

Dutch Postcode Lottery: your postcode is your lottery number

The Nationale Postcode Loterij was founded in 1989 to support good causes working towards a just, healthy and green world. Its twist is unique among Dutch lotteries: your postcode is your lottery number, so when your postcode is drawn, you win together with your neighbours. Today more than 3 million households play, chasing hundreds of thousands of prizes every month — while at least 40 percent of every ticket price goes to the lottery's charities. A ticket is not only a chance at a prize, it funds a better world along the way.

How do I play the Postcode Lottery in the Netherlands?

Playing works by subscription rather than single tickets. You sign up with your postcode, choose how many tickets you want and which type, and you automatically take part in every draw until you cancel — which you can do at any time, and you can change your subscription whenever you want. Because the postcode is the lottery number, everyone in a winning postcode with a ticket shares in the prize, and the more tickets you hold, the larger your share.

Three ticket types exist in 2026: the regular PostcodeLot at €16 per draw, the Plus lot at €18.50 (extra prize chances), and the Premium lot at €21 (the highest prize tier). There are 14 draws per year — twelve monthly draws plus two extra — and prizes range from small monthly amounts and gifts to street prizes, the monthly million-euro postcode prize and, on New Year's Eve, the PostcodeKanjer that runs into the tens of millions and is shared by an entire winning postcode and district.

Where the money goes: the charity model

The Postcode Loterij is a goededoelenloterij: by design, at least 40 percent of every ticket price is donated to its charities — over 170 organisations in 2026, working on people, nature and a fairer world — and the lottery also publicises their work. That structure is what separates it from prize-first draws such as Eurojackpot: you play partly for the prizes, partly to fund the causes, and the lottery is open about that trade-off.

Prizes and tax

Prizes are advertised gross. Winnings up to €449 are tax-free; above that threshold, Dutch gambling tax of 37.8% (2026) applies to the full prize and the lottery withholds it before paying out — a €100,000 win arrives as €62,200. Our overview of the Dutch gambling tax explains the rules in full. The average chance of winning something — including small prizes and gifts — is roughly 1 in 5 per draw, but as with every lottery the expected value is negative: treat the ticket as entertainment plus a donation, not an investment.

How it compares with other Dutch lotteries

The Postcode Loterij is a subscription lottery with a community twist; the alternatives work differently. Lotto and Eurojackpot let you pick numbers per draw, the Staatsloterij's Oudejaarstrekking is the classic New Year's Eve rival to the PostcodeKanjer, and the VriendenLoterij runs the other big charity-lottery model. The full overview of licensed Dutch draws is on our lottery page.

Frequently asked questions

Play responsibly. A lottery ticket is entertainment with a negative expected value — only spend what you can afford to lose. You must be 18 or older to play. If gambling is becoming a problem, find free, confidential support at AGOG, call the free helpline on 0800-1995, or read our safer-play guidelines. 18+.