That’s just the ticket... Lotto prizes to increase

NATIONAL Lottery operator Camelot has announced it will increase the prize pots for its Lotto game after a slump in ticket sales.

Matching five or more balls plus the bonus ball from November will see players win a fixed £1m, up from an estimated £50,000 which is currently based on sales.

Yesterday’s announcement scrapped its raffle to fund fixed pots for the remaining winning categories apart from the jackpot, which is also anticipated to increase in size and will pay out more regularly.

Another new game will offer winners a regular amount of money every month for a certain number of years.

Camelot said the details are still being finalised but that the top prize is expected to be thousands of pounds, paid every month for at least 25 years.

The changes were in response to a review launched last year after sales dropped 8.8 per cent in 2016/17 compared to the previous period.

Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said: “It was clear from the review that we needed to create a more appealing and balanced range of games that offers something for everyone.”

The review found that when Lotto changed in 2015 so gamblers pick six numbers from 59, compared to from 49 before, the game resembled its highstakes sibling EuroMillions too closely because it became harder to win.