Camelot pledges higher prize payouts on National Lottery
Camelot UK Lotteries has announced a series of changes to the National Lottery in an effort to make games more “appealing” to players by pledging to pay out higher prizes more often.
From November, players that match five main numbers and the bonus ball will win a fixed prize of £1m (€1.1m/$1.3m), up from £50,000. This will replace the current raffle draw system.
The main Lotto draw jackpot will be won or shared more often, with the jackpot only able to roll over five times, compared to around 10 rolls at present. If no player wins the jackpot on a must-win draw, the jackpot will then be shared across all winning cash prize tiers.
Other changes include increasing the amount players win for matching five main numbers from an estimated £1,000 to a fixed £1,750, as well as four numbers from £100 to £140 and three numbers from £25 to £30.
Players will still win a ‘Lucky Dip’ for matching two main numbers, while tickets will remain priced at £2 per line.
The changes come after a wide-ranging strategic review, which Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said identified key areas where action was required in order for the National lottery to return to “long-term, sustainable growth”.
This comes despite Camelot having reported a rise in National Lottery sales to £6.95bn in the 2017-18 financial year, with digital sales reaching an all-time high of £1.65bn.
Railton, who took over as CEO on a full-time basis in November 2017, 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.
“In particular, we needed to make our draw games stand out from each other and to give people the ability to play their way – with prizes, chances to win and prices to suit different tastes.”
Other changes to be rolled out as a result of the strategic review include staging additional special draws for the EuroMillions, which Camelot said will guarantee more £1m UK winners.
As part of this restructure, Camelot will now guarantee only one UK millionaire in each EuroMillions draw, rather than two.
In addition, Camelot plans to launch a new annuity game in spring 2019, subject to regulatory approval.
Details of the game are yet to be revealed, but Camelot said early indications suggest the top prize will be “thousands of pounds every month for at least 25 years”.
Railton added: “The portfolio updates we are announcing today will complement the other initiatives we are bringing in across retail and digital, as well as our ongoing work to make The National Lottery brand more relevant and visible – and will ensure that The National Lottery as a whole continues to deliver for both players and Good Causes alike.”
Camelot was last month forced to issue an apology to the Gambling Commission after it was fined £1.15m for historic control and governance failings dating back to 2016.
The Commission identified five controls-related matters that it deemed were “sufficiently serious” that payment of a financial penalty would be appropriate.
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