The National Lottery’s Lotto game is undergoing its biggest transformation since its first draw in 1994 – each £2 line now enters two separate draws
Lotto is poised for a massive overhaul this week, with punters now getting two opportunities to scoop prizes from a single line of numbers – though payouts for smaller wins are being dramatically cut.
Every line will be entered into dual draws, featuring two sets of six main balls and a bonus ball selected using separate machines. Players could triumph in the first round, second round, or bag wins in both rounds from just one Lotto line. The cost remains unchanged at £2 per line, with the familiar 59 balls still in play.
The draws will continue on Wednesdays and Saturdays as usual, commencing this Wednesday (June 10).
National Lottery operator Allwyn claims the odds of securing any prize will leap from one in 9.3 to one in 4.9, while the tally of Lotto millionaires is anticipated to surge from roughly 140 annually to approximately 345, reports the Mirror.
However, the rewards for matching smaller combinations of numbers face significant reductions. Getting three balls right will net you £10 rather than £30, while the four-ball prize drops to £50 from £140.
Matching five balls previously delivered £1,750, but this has now shrunk to £1,000. Securing two balls formerly earned a complimentary lucky dip, but now yields £1.
Players have two routes to millionaire status in the revamped game. There’s a guaranteed £1million prize for matching five numbers plus the bonus ball, and an assured £1million-plus jackpot for hitting all six main numbers.
Following the existing structure, Lotto jackpots will kick off at £2million and can roll over up to five occasions before being distributed at the subsequent draw. The jackpot will be shared across both rounds. Allwyn described the change as the biggest transformation of its Lotto game since its first draw in 1994.
Lotto HotPicks is also moving to the new two-round format, and will continue to be priced at £1.
An Allwyn spokesperson said: “This change will strengthen Lotto’s position as the nation’s ‘millionaire maker’ – going from it creating around two millionaires a week to over six.
“This is based on the fact that the change is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345.
“Because people can now win more than once from a single £2 Lotto line and will win more often also means that, over the course of the year, regular players will likely experience a net benefit in terms of prize money won – for the same purchase price.
“Players we tested the game with were happy that they’d have two opportunities in every draw to win the £1m+ prizes (at the jackpot and match 5+Bonus Ball tiers) and understood that some of the fixed prizes at the lower tiers have reduced to give them these extra chances of becoming a millionaire.”
Allwyn has also unveiled a UK version of Powerball, which was previously only available in the US and will be the country’s first “£1 billion-plus mega-jackpot game”.
UK Powerball players will select five main numbers ranging from numbers from one to 69, and one Powerball number from one to 26, or they can opt for a Lucky Dip. The prize will be distributed over a 30-year period to UK jackpot victors. UK participants will be charged £4 per line to enter. The launch date for Powerball is yet to be confirmed as it awaits final regulatory approval.