SELAE has renewed its long-running partnership with the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), committing €13.3m ($15.6m) through 2029 to support patient care, social programmes and cancer research across Spain.
The agreement extends a collaboration between Spain's state lottery operator and the charity that began in 1989. It was signed by SELAE President Jesús Huerta and AECC President Ramón Reyes in Madrid, with Finance Minister Arcadi España attending the ceremony.
Under the agreement, SELAE will contribute more than €3.3m each year over the next four years. The funding will help finance the association's patient support services alongside research projects and programmes for early-career clinical researchers.
The renewal comes as SELAE continues to allocate part of its proceeds to public interest initiatives through long-term agreements with Third Sector organisations.
Alongside the AECC, the operator also maintains funding partnerships with Cáritas Española and the Spanish Red Cross, reflecting its role as a state-owned lottery operator whose profits ultimately return to the Spanish Treasury.
The funding will support accommodation for patients and families who must travel away from home for treatment, together with financial assistance for vulnerable households facing cancer-related costs.
The programme also includes support for hospital transport, legal and employment advice, essential household expenses, caregiver costs and access to medical products that are not covered by Spain's public health system.
On the research side, the agreement will continue funding active cancer research projects while providing Junior Clinical grants designed to support young medical researchers.
The parties said at least two research projects will receive funding during the agreement period, with additional projects to be considered as existing programmes conclude.
The agreement also provides for a National Lottery draw dedicated to the Spanish Association Against Cancer to raise public awareness of the organisation's work.
According to the Ministry of Finance, SELAE contributed €26.71m to the association between 2018 and 2025. That funding helped the charity provide support to 10,144 people during 2025 through a combination of patient assistance programmes and research initiatives.
The agreement also forms part of SELAE's new 2026-2029 social investment cycle. The operator has allocated €87m to agreements with major charitable organisations over the four-year period, with the Government estimating the funding will benefit around four million people.
Between 2018 and 2025, SELAE said its broader social programmes distributed €170.4m and reached almost eight million beneficiaries across Spain.
The agreement follows SELAE's publication of its 2025 financial results, which showed record sales of €10.58bn alongside a 10.66% decline in profit to €2.18bn as higher jackpot payouts increased prize costs. The operator said all profits generated during the year would be returned to the Spanish Treasury.
The renewed agreement includes dedicated funding for Junior Clinical grants, which are awarded annually to help early-career clinicians pursue cancer research
