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Camelot: Lotto changes 'will make more millionaires' | Camelot: Lotto changes 'will make more millionaires' |
(35 minutes later) | |
National Lottery operator Camelot is to alter the rules of its Lotto game and says it will give players better odds of becoming a millionaire. | National Lottery operator Camelot is to alter the rules of its Lotto game and says it will give players better odds of becoming a millionaire. |
Changes from October include the introduction of a Millionaire's Raffle. | Changes from October include the introduction of a Millionaire's Raffle. |
But mathematician David Hodge said that people would be much less likely to win any other cash prize. | |
This is because under the new rules, the pool of numbers that players have to choose from will increase from 49 to 59. | This is because under the new rules, the pool of numbers that players have to choose from will increase from 49 to 59. |
For example, as it stands, people choose six numbers up to 49, and the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are just under one in 14 million. | For example, as it stands, people choose six numbers up to 49, and the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are just under one in 14 million. |
These odds will lengthen to around one in 45 million when the new changes come in. | These odds will lengthen to around one in 45 million when the new changes come in. |
Increasing the number pool size will roughly halve people's current chance of getting a cash prize - apart from through the Millionaire's Raffle - said Mr Hodge, a lecturer in statistics from the University of Nottingham. | |
"The chance of winning something monetary is dropping by between 40% and 50%," he told the BBC. | "The chance of winning something monetary is dropping by between 40% and 50%," he told the BBC. |
More winners? | More winners? |
Camelot said the new Lotto Millionaire's Raffle "will guarantee at least two millionaires each week in addition to 20 winners of £20,000 in every draw". | Camelot said the new Lotto Millionaire's Raffle "will guarantee at least two millionaires each week in addition to 20 winners of £20,000 in every draw". |
Also, under the changes to the rules, players who match two numbers will win a Lucky Dip ticket for a future draw. | Also, under the changes to the rules, players who match two numbers will win a Lucky Dip ticket for a future draw. |
Camelot said this will create an "extra 1.8 million winners each week". | Camelot said this will create an "extra 1.8 million winners each week". |
But Mr Hodge said that it was just the chance of having another go at the game that would increase, rather than winning a cash prize. | But Mr Hodge said that it was just the chance of having another go at the game that would increase, rather than winning a cash prize. |
"Now the vast majority of your 'wins' are just winning another ticket for next week - which is just shy of a 10% chance. Sure, winning another ticket does give you another chance to win next week, but it doesn't come close to the almost halved chance each time of winning £25," he said. | "Now the vast majority of your 'wins' are just winning another ticket for next week - which is just shy of a 10% chance. Sure, winning another ticket does give you another chance to win next week, but it doesn't come close to the almost halved chance each time of winning £25," he said. |
However, he added that people played Lotto for different reasons. | However, he added that people played Lotto for different reasons. |
If people played with the aim of giving money to charity, or simply for the fun of playing, they would be more likely to like the new rules, he said. | If people played with the aim of giving money to charity, or simply for the fun of playing, they would be more likely to like the new rules, he said. |
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