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The question of how to slow down climate change concerns many people. Some install solar panels on their roofs, others give up meat or long-haul travel, or choose to cycle instead of driving. And then there’s Barbara Wörz: she offers climate protection at the click of a button. Those who buy ClimaClic lottery tickets invest in a better future – and get to choose which nonprofit project their money supports.
As Head of Consumer Products at BurdaDirect, she founded ClimaClic in 2022 – Germany’s first climate lottery. The idea: buy a ticket, support climate action – and with a bit of luck, win. One third of the lottery revenue goes to nonprofit climate protection projects, another portion to taxes, and the rest into the jackpot. But how can a lottery help fight the climate crisis? And is it ethically acceptable to encourage gambling for a good cause?
The idea for ClimaClic emerged during the heatwave summer of 2018: 36 degrees Celsius in the shade, weeks of drought. In Barbara’s home region, the Black Forest, tanker trucks had to deliver drinking water to farms. For Barbara Wörz, it was a turning point: “That was a clear wake-up call for me. I knew: I have to do something.”
But why a lottery, of all things? “The idea wasn’t random,” she says. Barbara has been working at BurdaDirect for over 20 years, developing marketing strategies for lottery companies with her team – making her an expert in the field. “There are strict legal requirements for lotteries. Without that expertise, it would be very difficult. We knew what mattered.” Whether tax regulations, regional differences, or designing a prize plan – Barbara and her team were well prepared.
So why not apply the proven lottery model to climate protection? The concept of a social lottery wasn’t new – organizations like Aktion Mensch have shown for decades how gambling and social good can be combined. For Barbara, it was clear: climate protection needed something similar. “Climate change affects all of us – so everyone needs to pitch in,” she says. For her, the lottery was not a contradiction but a chance to combine professional know-how with personal commitment: “Why not create a model that makes it easy for people to contribute?”
Barbara is clear: ClimaClic will not solve the climate crisis. “It’s not meant to,” she says. Instead, the lottery sees itself as an additional impulse – an offer for those who cannot or do not want to completely change their everyday lives. “There are many people who consciously give up meat or flights. But not everyone can or wants to live that way,” she explains. “We wanted to create a model that enables climate-friendly action with low barriers.”
The idea: a few euros, the purchase of a ticket – and a small contribution to the climate.Thirty percent of the lottery revenue directly funds nonprofit climate protection projects. So far, more than €770,000 have supported organizations like PLANT-MY-TREE, which secures 65 hectares of forest in Lüdenscheid; NABU’s peatland protection program, restoring 500 hectares of wetlands; and One Earth – One Ocean, which uses the garbage collection boat “SeeHamster” to clean plastic waste from rivers like the Mekong. Participants choose which project their money supports. Those who win, celebrate. Those who don’t, can still feel good about helping the planet.
But is that enough? Or is buying a ticket just about easing one’s conscience rather than helping the planet? Barbara emphasizes: “We’re not about calming consciences; we’re about creating awareness.” Every participant must choose a specific project and is regularly informed about its progress. Through newsletters, project updates, and local events, players are encouraged to engage more with climate protection in their daily lives.
“Of course, we hope people will get involved beyond the ticket,” she says. “If that happens: fantastic. And if not – at least they have contributed financially to a good cause.”
Like other lotteries, ClimaClic doesn’t aim for one-time ticket sales. “Only with regular participation can we make a lasting impact,” Barbara says. But doesn’t that also pose a risk? Could repeated playing lead to addiction?
“People looking to make quick money probably won’t buy their ticket from us,” she responds. ClimaClic intentionally uses small stakes, strict spending limits, and moderate play frequency. Drawings occur only once per week, and the maximum spending is capped at €24. “For people with gambling addiction problems, we are simply unattractive.”
A recent study by The Lancet Public Health Commission also concludes that the addiction potential of traditional and social lotteries like ClimaClic is significantly lower than that of online casinos, which constantly lure users with algorithms and 24/7 stimuli.
“Of course, you can never completely rule out problematic behavior,” Barbara says. That’s why ClimaClic relies on transparency and education. On their website, users find information about risks, a self-test, helplines, and direct contact points. “We’re not trying to squeeze money out of people,” she emphasizes. “We want people to give what they can – to give something back to the environment.”
Stopping climate change requires systemic transformation – in energy, food systems, and resource management. ClimaClic alone cannot achieve that.
But it offers an easy entry point and a way to contribute without finger-pointing or needing to radically change one’s lifestyle. “We’re just a small cog in the climate protection machinery,” says Barbara. “But a diversity of initiatives is needed. That’s how real momentum builds. And if we can get our target audience to start engaging with the topic at all, we’ve already achieved a lot.”
The fact remains: climate change cannot be stopped with a single lottery ticket. But maybe, for some, buying a ClimaClic ticket will be the first step toward a new way of thinking.
What about you? What’s your view on social lotteries? Do you regularly buy tickets, or do you prefer to donate directly to environmental projects?
