National Lottery holds first 'must-be-won' jackpot following drop in sales
Odds lengthened to one in 45 million after introduction of extra balls last year
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tonight’s National Lottery “must-be-won” jackpot of £24.7 million is the first since the organiser reduced its maximum pot size from £55 million to £22 million.
The change means that once the pot exceeds £22 million, it must be won in the next draw.
Camelot, which organises the National Lottery, altered the amount because its customers “prefer more big moments more often”, a spokeswoman told The Independent.
The reduction in pot size means “must-win jackpots” occur more frequently.
The jackpot’s reduction in size was introduced amid a drop in the number people buying lottery tickets. While the National Lottery’s sales hit a record £7.6 billion last year, this was primarily due to an increased demand for scratchcards and interactive “Instant Win” games.
The sale of Lottery tickets, however, has declined in recent months. While an average of £42.4 million worth of Lotto tickets were sold every week between 1 April and 25 June, this figure has not been reached since April.
“People go absolutely nuts for these jackpots,” the spokeswoman said. “And this is important because the National Lottery works to raise money for good causes.”
As set out by Parliament, the National Lottery gives 28 per cent of its gross income to “good causes”.
According to the Gambling Commission, the amount of money given to good causes by the National Lottery between April and June fell by more than £83.4 million when compared with the same period last year. This represents a drop of 19.5 per cent.
In January, the biggest ever Lotto jackpot reached £60 million until it was “rolled-over”.
There was speculation Lotto sales might drop after the National Lottery increased the number of balls in the pot from 49 to 59 last October. This reduced the chance of claiming the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.
Camelot maintains the drop in ticket sales is understandable when viewed within the context of January’s astronomical £60 million jackpot. Due to its high value, the lottery organiser maintains people were more likely to buy tickets during that period.
Regardless of whether somebody matches six numbers, £24.7 million will be won tonight. If nobody matches six numbers, the jackpot will be split between those who have matched five.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments