If You Buy Lottery Tickets, Will You Still Do So When They Double In Price?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9806176/Cost-of-playing-the-Lottery-to-double-to-2.html

[Baldric]

Yes, no reason not to!

[squarebear]

Let's not forget that the prize for matching 3 has gone from £10 to £25 and for matching 4 numbers from £60 to £100. As the majority of winners get either 3 or 4 numbers, I don't think it is such a hike up in price.

I personally only buy them from time to time and will continue to do so. However, while buying my last one I saw a scratchcard that cost £10! If people have so much money to waste buying these things, I'm sure they will still buy them at £2.

[DangerUXD]

sorry are they guaranteeing the 3 and 4 number prizes? Only 3 was guaranteed before.

[B00]

"However, while buying my last one I saw a scratchcard that cost £10! "

A customer at work bought one, scratched it, won £100. Guess what she did? Yep, buy 10 more with it.

Nowt as stupid as folk.

And that indirectly answers AOG too, yes, folk will still play it, and probably same amount of lines too.

[squarebear]

No idea. I'm only going by what the article says but I assume it means the prize that was around £60 is going up to around £100

[rockyracoon]

This could prove a problem in large syndicates that have set lines. Some might not want to cough the difference and lines will have to be dropped.

I think most regular payers will carry on playing, some might just buy half the usual amount.

[Buenchico]

That link makes no sense at all!

"However, the prize pot for matching five numbers will drop by £500 to £1,000,".
The prize for matching 5 numbers has never been a fixed amount. (On Saturday, £428,162 was shared between 1666 winners, giving them £257 each).

". . . while the reward for matching five numbers and the bonus number will halve to £50,000"
Again, there's no fixed amount. (On Saturday, £685,191 was shared between 39 winners, giving them £17,569 each).

"The prize for matching four numbers will increase from £60 to £100."
Same problem. (On Saturday, 64,091 winners shared £897,274, at £14 each).

[Buenchico]

Aha!

Here are the actual FACTS!
http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/news/uk-national-lottery-news/games-and-brands/ExcitingLottoChangesPlannedWithMoreWaysToWinMoreMoney16012013

[DangerUXD]

The prizes are all variable the only guaranteed prize is £10. the rest are based on a formula. it is possible for all prizes to be wiped out by the £10's. If they say they are doubling what they estimate to be the prizes then that's one thing but the actual prizes are subject to arithmetic.

[ABerrant]

"the only guaranteed prize is £10"

£10 has never been a guaranteed amount, however it would only be less if the available prize fund was at an extremely unlikely (e.g. has never happened in the past 18 years) low value.

"Three matching numbers will always win £10, except in the extremely unlikely event that the prize fund is insufficient to give all winners £10 each. If this happens, the prize fund will be split equally between all prize winners."

http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/help/aboutlotto/prizecalculation.ftl

[Zeuhl]

The most powerful factor in retaining sales for any Lottery operator is that many players have their own selected numbers that they always play because they are terrified of seeing them come up when they haven't played them.

[boxtops]

Zeuhl, I know that feeling :-(

[murraymints]

I won €81 just before Xmas so yes I will.

[Zeuhl]

boxy

o no - sorry about that!

not too big a prize i hope.

[dickythecook]

For a government who, at one stage, were concerned that too many people were being lured into gambling poverty there seems to be an explosion of opportunities to throw away money on long odds.
I will still buy the occasional ticket as I do now. Probably half the number tho'

[Old_Geezer]

I can't retire in luxury on £25.

As normal I'll buy one once in a blue moon. Maybe whenever there is a centuple rollover.

[pdq1]

Maybe they should switch to the Daily Mail For the 50p cost of the newspaper you get 5 stabs at winning their lottery and quite a large payout if successful

[TheWinner]

No, and I think they are making a big mistake.

[jno]

100% rise is a lot. People may buy fewer tickets than they used to.

[Prudie]

Well I will as I only do the Euro lottery and that's always been £2 a ticket.