It should ensure that Munich's bid should now reach the whole of Bavaria and beyond, with Lotto Bayern creating awareness among customers at Olympic information points through its close-knit distribution network of 3,800 service points and nine Bavarian casinos. 

Bernhard Schwank, the chief executive of Munich 2018, was delighted to welcome the company to a portfolio of sponsors that already includes Adidas, BMW and Lufthansa.

He said: "We hope that Lotto Bayern’s four-leaf clover logo will bring us a little luck, and that with this additional backing from German businesses we can achieve our joint goal of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018.

"With the help of the state lottery fund and its 3,800 service points in Bavaria, we hope that Lotto can help to boost the entire state’s excitement for the Winter Games to ensure everyone backs the bid with real enthusiasm."
  
Lotto Bayern has played an important role as a partner of sport, especially Paralympic sports, for more than 50 years.

It was heavily involved in the Summer Olympics  in 1972, including providing the financing for the infrastructure of the 1972 Games in Munich.

Every year, €500 million (£427 million/$669 million) of the funds generated by Lotto throughout Germany goes directly to supporting sport. 

The deal was announced at a special ceremony attended by, among others, double Olympic gold medallist Katarina Witt, the chairman of Munich 2018 and Erwin Horak, the President of Lotto Bayern.

Horak said: "Lotto Bayern is dedicated to supporting the bid to bring a major sporting event of such global significance to the Bavarian capital and the surrounding region.

"Should Munich be selected to host the Games in 2018, it would provide a long-term stimulus for continual positive growth in many different areas - not just financially, but in sporting and social terms too.

"As a local business, Lotto Bayern would like to wish the Munich 2018 bid the best of luck."
 
Schwank emphasised the importance of the partners’ shared vision for the Paralympic Movement.

He said: "The Munich 2018 Bid Committee’s partnership with Lotto Bayern is founded in part on our common goal of staging the most inclusive Winter Games in Paralympic history.

"Lotto Bayern has been a passionate supporter of barrier free sports for many years, and we are very pleased to be able to draw on their expertise and strong ties to the people of Bavaria."


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