Everyone knows The National Lottery. Whether it’s as an organisation or through its various brands such as Lotto and Win for Life, or through the support of various social projects, sporting events, and festivals. If the National Lottery still doesn’t ring a bell with our readers, what is the mission or goal of the National Lottery?

Indeed, the National Lottery often immediately rings a bell with most Belgians due to its popular products such as Lotto and Win for Life. However, in the cultural world, the lottery is also well known for its support of major events, art and cultural initiatives, sporting events, and festivals.

But for those who might not yet be familiar with the organisation: the National Lottery is an organisation with a clear social mission. Its explicit goal is to organize lotteries and games of chance, and to do so in the general interest and with a social purpose. In other words, the National Lottery is a socially responsible and professional provider of gaming entertainment.

What makes the National Lottery unique is its commitment to giving 100% of its profits back to society, year after year. It does this through various partnerships, supporting a wide range of activities and projects. From cultural events and festivals to artistic initiatives and heritage projects, the National Lottery thus plays a crucial role in promoting and preserving the cultural richness of our country. This also includes supporting the contemporary cultural landscape and groundbreaking festivals such as Horst.

In its operations, the National Lottery always applies an ethical and transparent approach in all its activities, where honesty, integrity, and responsibility are central. From responsible gaming and winner guidance to safety and quality.

How do you work? How do you decide whether projects are eligible for your support? I can imagine you receive many requests for support.

Any organization active in Belgium can apply for support from the National Lottery. If you believe your initiative also deserves support, you can certainly take a look at the website and submit an online application there. As already mentioned, 100% of the National Lottery’s profits flow back to Belgian society. In 2023, this amounted to 345 million euros in support for hundreds of good causes, including about 19 million for organisations and projects in the cultural sector. This is often a very important contribution to the functioning or existence of these organisations.

To manage this properly, the National Lottery has a top team dedicated to the cultural sector, striving every day for optimal collaboration. Be sure to speak to them at events or contact them through the website.

The National Lottery is a partner of Horst Arts & Music for the second year in a row. What reasons motivated you to support our project, and what was important to you?

Firstly, as the National Lottery, we share your dedication to promoting art, culture, and creativity in Belgium. Horst Arts & Music offers a unique platform for both established and emerging artists and musicians to showcase their talents and make their voices heard. The National Lottery increasingly positions itself as a partner for Belgian talent in both sports and culture.

By supporting Horst, we contribute to the flourishing cultural landscape of our country and encourage artistic expression and innovation. Nightlife and electronic music are still too often overlooked when it comes to cultural subsidies. With our support for the Horst festival, we want to show our appreciation for and commitment to the sector. The lottery provides subsidies to all projects that make society a better place and put Belgium on the map as a cultural player. Horst certainly has its place in this.

Additionally, we appreciate Horst’s commitment to sustainability and socially responsible entrepreneurship. The festival aims to handle the environment responsibly and to create an inclusive and diverse environment for all participants. As an organisation that also values sustainability and social justice, we are pleased to contribute to this and to see how Horst can be an inspiration for others in the sector.

In short, our support for Horst Arts & Music is based on shared values, a shared vision for a thriving cultural sector, and a deep-rooted commitment to Belgian society.

Additionally, we appreciate Horst’s commitment to sustainability and socially responsible entrepreneurship. The festival aims to handle the environment responsibly and to create an inclusive and diverse environment for all participants.

The support for Horst Arts & Music seems to fit into a larger movement, given the support for other events such as the Listen Festival. What vision guided the National Lottery in making this choice?

As the National Lottery, we observe many movements within the cultural sector due to our collaborations with various partners. One of these movements, which has been ongoing for many years, is sustainability. Much work has been done in this area, and it is a hot topic when organizing various events. Until recently, ‘sustainability’ mainly referred to ecological sustainability. Events have undergone significant evolution in terms of ecology and reducing their ecological footprint. In recent years, the sector has increasingly worked on the broader meaning of the word sustainability, namely social sustainability as well.

Many events ask themselves: how can we give our visitors a pleasant experience in the long term, how can we make our event a safer place, and how can we be open to everyone as an event? These are important questions being asked in the cultural sector, and much effort has been devoted to addressing them over the years. As the National Lottery, we recognise these efforts and see their great value. It seems to us the perfect time to support these initiatives, to build and share knowledge in the sector so that organisations can explore what truly works without putting them in financial difficulty. Horst Arts & Music has also made significant strides in recent years in terms of accessibility, creating safer spaces, and various other initiatives. With the support of the National Lottery players, we primarily aim to ensure that culture is accessible to everyone. Accessibility can be viewed in many facets, including financial, physical, or mental.

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The National Lottery always emphasises in its communication that it is about more than just playing. Why is that so important to you? What message do you want to convey with this?

“More than playing” is indeed our baseline and actually refers to our unique model, which also constitutes our DNA. In this economic and ethical model, many players participate for a small amount, hoping to win a prize. These many small stakes from the players then make a significant contribution to society possible.

The National Lottery has the explicit ambition to return its entire profit to society. So, playing a game of the National Lottery is never just about “playing.” By playing, you also support countless organisations and projects that make a difference in our society. Much more than playing, indeed. This also applies to our support for Horst Arts & Music. The players of the National Lottery make it possible to focus on accessible cultural experiences, safer spaces, simply pleasant places for everyone. Therefore, thank you to the players of the National Lottery, because thanks to them, Horst Arts & Music can once again host a fantastic festival and a free exhibition!

"This also applies to our support for Horst Arts & Music. The players of the National Lottery make it possible to focus on accessible cultural experiences, safer spaces, simply pleasant places for everyone."

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Horst Arts & Music is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, a jubilee edition of sorts. Are there any ambitions or wishes you would like to express for Horst? Is there a way you hope the project evolves?

First of all, we want to warmly congratulate you on reaching this milestone: ten years of Horst Arts & Music! This anniversary represents not only a decade of creativity, culture, and community but also a period of growth, renewal, and inspiration. As the National Lottery, we are proud partners. Your dedication to art, music, and cultural expression has not only enriched the Belgian cultural landscape but also had a positive impact on countless individuals and communities. How Horst has managed to transform Asiat Park from an abandoned site into a vibrant place where everyone can experience art and music is a prime example of what culture can mean for a neighborhood.

We hope that you continue our shared mission of accessibility and creating a space for young Belgian talent. Together, we are putting Belgium on the map in terms of festivals, nightlife, and accessible cultural experiences. Let’s continue to focus on this in the coming years! Warm congratulations and best wishes for the next ten years and beyond!