Lotto tightening the screw again (scratchcards)

_dark_blu

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With the recent revision of the main lotto game (from 49 to 59 numbers) it seems Lotto is tightening up on scratch card odds now. I buy the odd one or two when doing grocery shopping, never really win much, the odd tenner, £40 max, though I'm usually mildly happy (easily pleased) if/when I win my stake back as it pays for Monday's bus ticket to work.

There's a new card called 'Cash Drop' £2 card, £100,000 top prize. Nowhere on the front of the card or the point of sale did it tell me that one of the 'prizes' is now a non-monetary value prize of another £2 scratchcard. Well, as luck would have it, I won a prize, and lo-and-behold, I won a free scratchcard (there goes Monday's bus change - will have to draw a tenner out). Claimed free card, and with the odds usually just under 1 in 4, I lost. So I 'won' on the original card and my grand total payout was £0. I know technically I could have won on the 'free go' card, but if I'd have been made aware that this new game, and likely all future new cards will have this new 'prize' level I would have chosen a different game.

Still think they should make you aware that there is a chance you will win a 'non-monetary' prize on the front of the card or at the point of sale. Yes, it's on the back of the card but by then you've bought it and possibly at home with it.
 
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Income tax for the stupid. Don't knock it.
 
Scratch cards, lottery, ponies, dogs, football, 2 flies up a wall. All a load of guff. Put the money to better use.
 
What if you win a car? Would you still be disappointed that it isn't a monetary prize and couldn't use it to pay your bus fair?
 
Can't say that I am that fussed but I do see where the OP is coming from.

It is a bit cheeky promoting that 1in4 cards win when in fact most of those wins are just another card.

The most likely outcome is lose on first card. The next most likely outcome is win another card and lose on that one. So in reality the chances of winning are a lot less than 1in4.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
With the recent revision of the main lotto game (from 49 to 59 numbers)
and now means people don't win.

Lottery rollover: Statistician says odds of winning 'less than ever' - BBC News

Dr Rob Mastrodomenico, founder of the consultancy Global Sports Statistics, said the increased number of balls from 49 to 59, had increased the number of rollovers but also reduced the odds of people selecting winning numbers.

Rollover is now at £50 million. It might be made "easier" Saturday if no one wins.
 
It's funny - this is at thirteen rollovers. They used to cap it at two as the jackpot got high enough after that for big syndicates to have a go. Shows how much the number of players has dropped.
 
Rollover is now at £50 million. It might be made "easier" Saturday if no one wins.

Only because they have to, new rules mean that once it passed £50mil, on the second week (i think) if no-one gets 6 numbers, it goes to 5+1
 
Right so that's the old rule - once the jackpot gets to a certain point they divide it amongst the 5+1s or whatever to prevent some rich group trying to buy all the tickets. That rule has always been there. Don't know if the jackpot has ever actually been shared in this way, as they used to get way more than 14m people, especially in double rollover weeks, so chances are it was won with all six numbers. Now with winning being 1/50m, it's highly unlikely you will have an outright winner.
 
i thought it was 114,000,000 to 1 for 6 numbers now

or maybe thats euromillions
 
Must be - just cracking out Excel the odds have gone from

1/13,983,816

to

1/45,057,474

So about 3.2 times harder to win the jackpot
 
I like a wee bet on the horses and football but never bother even looking at the lottery as the chances of winning are so slim. I'm not sure that winning the lottery has been good for some of the people who have won in the past.
 
Well no one won today, so £57 odd million to be shared out no matter what on Saturday - should attract a few players...
 
Said it on a different post, but its the larger jackpots that draw people in and thats why it was changed. It hasnt lead to a drop off players at all as I understand
 
I find it quite eye-raising when you look at the breakdown of the results

Lotto prize breakdown | Results | The National Lottery

Two things that stand out for me are

A prize of just £75k for 5+1 in a £64m prize pot.

Claiming that the free lotto lucky dips is £3.5m of prize money. I can understand their rationale, number of free tickets times £2 but that is just opportunity cost assuming that everyone of those people would have paid to play had they not won a ticket. And the probable money that will be won from those free tickets will be a tiny fraction of that £3.5m.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I have won more on scratch cards than on the lotto itself.
In the last year I have won about £320+ (buying about 3x £2 cards per month roughly).

Won a couple of £120 wins.
Had a free £1 scratch card on a table at a wedding that I won £2 with. I used this £2 to buy another and won £40.
Last week I won on 3 cards in a row (to a grand total of only £12 though).

What I don't agree with is it being classed as a 'win' when you get your £2 back. In my eyes a win is when you get more than you put down.
You either win, break even or lose.
 
Well whatever, I hope you all enjoy topping up Ontario's teachers pension fund.
 
I find it quite eye-raising when you look at the breakdown of the results

Lotto prize breakdown | Results | The National Lottery

Two things that stand out for me are

A prize of just £75k for 5+1 in a £64m prize pot.

Claiming that the free lotto lucky dips is £3.5m of prize money. I can understand their rationale, number of free tickets times £2 but that is just opportunity cost assuming that everyone of those people would have paid to play had they not won a ticket. And the probable money that will be won from those free tickets will be a tiny fraction of that £3.5m.

Cheers,

Nigel

5 plus the bonus used to always be around six figures if I remember correctly. Probably getting on for half a million with such a high jackpot.

Despite winning a nice amount I bet those two from last night will be slightly miffed when 5 plus the bonus likely picks up the jackpot on Saturday.
 
With getting just 5 numbers I would be expecting life changing monies ,mortgage free ,holidays? On wait £1231 !!!?¿!!???
 
With getting just 5 numbers I would be expecting life changing monies ,mortgage free ,holidays? On wait £1231 !!!?¿!!???

I've spent more than that on the Lottery too since it started in 94 (£2 per week + Some Wednesdays) and won £85.

One day though...
 
and now means people don't win.

Lottery rollover: Statistician says odds of winning 'less than ever' - BBC News

Dr Rob Mastrodomenico, founder of the consultancy Global Sports Statistics, said the increased number of balls from 49 to 59, had increased the number of rollovers but also reduced the odds of people selecting winning numbers.

Rollover is now at £50 million. It might be made "easier" Saturday if no one wins.

and apparently the beeb said last night -
'...that if you filled a bath tub to overflowing with grains of rice and one of them had your name on it, then that's your chance of winning. '

maybe the beeb's falling out of flavour with the lottery now - considering it's presented on there, it does seem a bit strange...
 

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