National Lottery doubles price from autumn

[scottish]

The cost of playing the main National Lottery draw is to double to £2, but more winners will get a share of the prize pot.

Operator Camelot said the increase, which takes effect in the autumn, means players who have three correct numbers will win £25 instead of the current £10.

However, the prize for matching five numbers will drop by £500 to £1,000, while the reward for getting five numbers and the bonus number will halve to £50,000.

The winnings for matching four numbers will increase from £60 to £100.

The price rise is the first since the Lotto draw launched in 1994 and follows research which found that consumers "want more ways to win more money" from the game.

An average 800,000 players win prizes for matching three or four numbers each week, while around 800 players match five numbers or five plus the bonus.

The average Saturday jackpot will increase from around £4.1m to £5m and the Wednesday jackpot will increase from an estimated £2.2m to around £2.5m, while a new Lotto raffle will guarantee at least 50 winners £20,000 in each draw, Camelot added.

Managing director Andy Duncan said: "Our players still love Lotto, but after 18 years they say they want more from it.

"We've spoken extensively with them to develop a re-energised game.

"The changes we'll be introducing in the autumn to rejuvenate Lotto will give them what they have asked for: £25 for matching three numbers, bigger jackpots and a brand new way to play and win one of 50 prizes of a guaranteed £20,000 on each and every draw."

Lotto rollover draws will also change, with the number of raffle prizes on offer increasing significantly with each roll of the jackpot.

Total National Lottery sales have increased by 35% since 2002, with the number of players growing by more than 12% in the last five years.

Players have also helped to raise more than £29bn for National Lottery Good Causes.

http://news.sky.com/story/1039210/na...to-double-to-2

[Samantha]

So only the lottery will change? Seems interesting, nice to see a change.

[Chippiewill]

Seems like a fairly trivial change in terms of changing around the probabilities but the price hike is pretty substantial for people who buy just one ticket. People who buy multiple can just buy halve as many and be in the same boat as before.

[Martin]

hmm I guess it was going to happen eventually haha, its been that price for a very long time!

I think its good that the lower prizes have gone up and the raffle thing sounds good

[Inseriousity.]

Hmm I don't really put the lottery on although more out of having a rubbish memory. I think the current system was fine though.

The Habbox Lottery is much better and you should all buy tickets.

[dbgtz]

Good change to be honest, though ultimately I bet they are saving a few penny but coating it so it doesn't look like an unreasonable (but inevitable) price hike

[wiffee1000]

OOOHHWW MMII GOOOD !! NEEEEW WAAAAY!!

Edited by Jordan (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not post pointlessly

[Catchy]

I don't understand why people don't realize you've actually got more chance of being struck by lightening than winning the lotto? The odds are ridic if you wanna win some serious money you're prob better off learning how to play poker...

[Kardan]

I don't understand why people don't realize you've actually got more chance of being struck by lightening than winning the lotto? The odds are ridic if you wanna win some serious money you're prob better off learning how to play poker...

That's for the jackpot. I think the odds in actually winning a prize is something like 1/10 - 1/14.

[Catchy]

That's for the jackpot. I think the odds in actually winning a prize is something like 1/10 - 1/14.

Well I don't know about anyone else but, I've never known anyone to be jumping with joy 'cause of a lotto win...