Lotto crackpots

Sales slump as extra numbers hit big wins

NATIONAL Lottery chiefs have been slated after the new format meant a drop in ticket sales of £600million.

Organiser Camelot raised the cost of playing Lotto and added more balls.

The changes meant the chance of winning shrank from one in 14 million to one in 45 million. But the move has badly hit sales.

Ticket income has slumped from £7.5billion to £6.9billion – representing an 8.8% drop or £600million.

The jackpot has not been won since May 24, with the pot now standing at £17.4million.

On Wednesday this week, there was the chance of winning £14.8million. But the

biggest winners were the 78 people who scooped £662, taking just £51,636 from the prize pot for getting five balls.

The new system also has a raffle draw, which creates one £1million winner and 20 winners of £20,000.

But punters have complained the endless roll-overs are spoiling the event.

The balls were drawn 12 times before a previous jackpot of £25million was won and before that, the top prize money was repeatedly rolled over for more than a month. The shift has come as Camelot faces increased competition from rivals and a backlash over the changes to the game. But a spokesman for Camelot said the revisions were made to create bigger rolling prize pots. He said: “The changes we made to Lotto promised bigger rolling jackpots and more millionaires than ever. The new game is clearly delivering on its promises.”