Lotto to offer winners an income for life

THE National Lottery is to introduce a game where winners are given a guaranteed income.

The draw, which is expected to launch early next year, will pay winners a monthly tax-free sum for at least 25 years, offering financial stability for life.

Camelot, the firm which runs the lottery, has not confirmed how this will work, but it is thought there could be a series of winners collecting regular payments ranging from £1,000 to £10,000.

And from November, the main Lotto draw will have the maximum number of rollovers reduced to create more winners of life- changing sums while reducing the number of mega-jackpots.

For example, a player who matches five balls and the bonus ball – one ball away from the jackpot – will get at least £1million under a new system of improved minimum payouts. The prize for this at present is an estimated £50,000.

The moves come as part of a radical overhaul of the National Lottery to ensure more people get a share of the prize pots.

And it appears to be a response to a backlash from players, who rebelled over changes in 2015 where the number of balls was increased from 49 to 59. This reduced the chance of winning the jackpot from one in 14million to one in 59million.

Subsequently, sales of the main draw Lotto tickets fell away, dropping by £10million a week at one stage.

The Euromillions will also change. It will still offer huge rollovers, but in 2019 will add special draws to increase the number of UK millionaires it creates each year from ten to around 30.