The initiative is a scratch card game called "Loto de la biodiversité," offering players the chance to win up to €30,000 for €3 per card.
A portion of the proceeds, approximately €0.43 from each card sold, will go to the French Biodiversity Board (OFB). The initiative launches on October 23 and will be available in tobacco stores across the country.
The French government hopes the biodiversity lottery will be as successful as the Heritage Lottery, which since 2018 has funded projects to restore more than 745 historic sites across France.
A total of 15 million scratch cards will be available, and the biodiversity lottery is expected to generate €6.5 million in revenue shortly after launch. OFB will be responsible for distributing these funds to conservation projects.
More than 60 charities, both national and international, including the World Wildlife Fund and France's Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds), have applied for grants. A committee chaired by Sara El Khairy, Secretary of State for Biodiversity, will decide on grants ranging from €50,000 to €1 million, and the awardees will be announced on October 18.
