National Lottery (United Kingdom)

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For the Republic of Ireland's National Lottery, see National Lottery (Ireland).

A "play here!" sign outside a newsagent, incorporating the National Lottery's logo of a stylised hand with crossed fingers which emulates a smiling face.

The National Lottery is the United Kingdom's largest lottery. It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by The National Lottery Commission. The National Lottery undertook a major rebranding programme in 2002 designed to combat falling sales. This resulted in the main game being renamed Lotto. However, the games as a collective are still known as The National Lottery. It is one of the most popular forms of gambling in the United Kingdom.

All prizes are paid as a lump sum and are tax-free. Of every pound (£) spent on Lottery games, 50 pence (p) goes to the prize fund, 28p to 'good causes' as set out by Parliament (though some of this is considered by some to be a stealth tax^[1] levied to support the New Opportunities fund, a fund constituted to support public spending^[2]), 12p to the British Government as duty and 5p to retailers as commission, while Camelot receives 4.5p to cover operating costs and 0.5p profit [1]. Players must be at least 16 years of age to participate in the lottery, either in the drawn lottery games or by purchase of lottery scratch cards.

There are twelve different machines that can be used for the Lotto draw. The machine and set of lottery balls to be used is selected at random, and is announced just prior to the draw. The machines are designated Merlin, Arthur, Galahad, Vyvyan, Lancelot, Garnet, Topaz, Opal, Amethyst, Moonstone, Pearl and Sapphire. Guinevere has also been a designated machine in the past but has now been retired. Ball sets, of which there are eight, are designated by number.

[edit] Who can play

Only people who reside in the United Kingdom may purchase a ticket
Anyone who belongs to a syndicate whose syndicate manager resides in the United Kingdom
Players must be 16 or older

While only people who reside in the United Kingdom may purchase tickets, there are few 3rd party companies which offer anyone in the world the chance to enter by entering into a syndicate.

[edit] Games

A National Lottery ticket with two sets of numbers for the main Lotto draw, and an unused "Dream Number" generated by "Lucky Dip".

Several games operate under the National Lottery brand:

[edit] Lotto

Six numbers are drawn from a set of individually numbered balls with numbers in the range 1–49, as well as a further bonus ball. Balls, once drawn, are not returned to the draw machine, therefore each ball (including the bonus ball) can only be drawn once per Lotto draw. Players choose six different numbers by a method of their own choosing at the time they purchase a ticket. Ticket issuing machines can generate a random set of play numbers as a so–called Lucky Dip. Prizes are awarded to players who match at least three of the six drawn numbers with increasing prize value for matching more of the drawn numbers. In addition to the six drawn numbers, an additional number is drawn as the Bonus Ball. The bonus ball is only relevant to those players who match five of the six drawn numbers, whereby those players matching exactly five of the drawn numbers who also match the bonus ball receive a larger prize than those matching just 5 of the drawn numbers. Anyone matching all six drawn numbers wins a share of the jackpot; the chance of doing so is 1 in 13,983,816. For players matching at least four of the drawn balls the prize value is dependent on the total number of players also matching the same number of balls in that the prize fund is divided equally between all players matching that number of drawn numbers. In the event that no player matches all six of the drawn numbers the jackpot is accumulated into the next Lotto draw, a so–called Rollover. This accumulation is limited to three consecutive draws. Rollover is a common occurrence, happening once every few draws, though a three week roll-over is a rather less common occurrence having happened only twice to date.

The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board

The draw is conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Saturday draws started on November 19, 1994, under the name 'National Lottery'. The first Wednesday draw was on February 5, 1997. All draws are shown live on BBC One in the UK, with the Saturday draw shown as a segment in a range of different Lottery branded gameshows throughout the year.

The game was rebranded 'Lotto' in 2002.

The Lotto prize fund is 45 percent of draw sales in a normal week. However, the long-term average percentage is almost exactly 46 percent due to an occasional Super Draw paid for from a Super Draw reserve fund, set aside each draw. The 3 ball prize winners are calculated first, these receive £10 each; the remaining prize fund is then divided as shown in the table below and split equally with the number of winners for each selection:

Match	Prize	Odds of winning
3 numbers	£10 per winner	55.65593:1 (i.e. 1 in 56.65593)
4 numbers	22% of remaining fund	1,031.397:1
5 numbers	10% of remaining fund	55,490.33:1
5 numbers and bonus ball	16% of remaining fund	2,330,635:1
6 numbers	52% of remaining fund	13,983,815:1 (i.e. 1 in 13,983,816)

So the overall odds of winning any prize is 52.65514 to one. The 6/49 mentioned above also had an optional add-on game known as Extra which could be played for an additional £1. However, its only prize was for matching all six regular numbers drawn for the 6/49 jackpot (there were no lower-tier prizes; you lost even if you matched five). It was discontinued in 2006.

[edit] Lotto Hotpicks

Lotto Hotpicks uses the main Lotto draw for its numbers but is a different game. The player chooses both the numbers and the number of draw balls they want to try and match (up to a maximum of five balls). However, if the player does not match all the numbers chosen, it is not a winner. The National Lottery describe Hotpicks as "Five games in one", because the player has a choice of five ways of playing the game, each offering different odds and payouts.

The entry fee to the Lotto Hotpicks draw is £1 per board

The odds and payouts are as follows:

Match	Prize	Odds of winning
1 number	£5	1: 9
2 numbers	£40	1: 79
3 numbers	£450	1: 922
4 numbers	£7 000	1: 14,126
5 numbers	£130 000	1: 317,814

[edit] Thunderball

The first Thunderball draw was on June 12, 1999. Players pick five main numbers from 1 to 34 and one 'Thunderball' number from 1 to 14, for an entry fee of £1. initially only held on Saturdays, draws currently take place every Saturday and Wednesday. The first mid-week Thunderball was on October 23, 2002. The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board

Match	Prize	Odds of winning
1 + Thunderball	£5	1: 33
2 + Thunderball	£10	1: 107
3 numbers	£10	1: 74
3 + Thunderball	£20	1: 960
4 numbers	£100	1: 2,067
4 + Thunderball	£250	1: 26,866
5 numbers	£5 000	1: 299,661
5 + Thunderball	£250 000	1: 3,895,584

[edit] Dream Number

Dream Number was launched on July 15, 2006. Dream Number involves generating a random seven digit number for entry into the draw. It can be played independently of Lotto, or if played with Lotto one Dream Number is generated per ticket, not per lotto entry. The cost of entry is £1. A dream number is automatically printed on every lotto ticket bought, whether the player has chosen to enter it into the draw or not. Unlike other Lotto games, it is not possible to choose the number entered, and the order that the numbers are drawn is important, since the numbers must be matched in order for the player to win. All money raised for good causes from Dream Number will go towards the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.

Match	Prize	Odds of winning
1st number only	£2	1: 11.12
1st 2 numbers	£10	1: 111.12
1st 3 numbers	£100	1: 1,111.2
1st 4 numbers	£500	1: 11,112
1st 5 numbers	£5 000	1: 111,112
1st 6 numbers	£50 000	1: 1,111,112
all 7 numbers	£500 000	1: 10,000,000

The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 10.

Source: National Lottery Players Guide

[edit] Scratchcards

As well as draw tickets, the National Lottery sells (through newsagents, supermarkets, and so on) scratchcards.

These are small pieces of card where an area has been covered by a thin layer of opaque (and usually designed according to the particular card) latex that can be scratched off. Under this area are concealed the items/pictures that must be found in order to win.

The generic scratchcard requires the player to match three of the same prize amounts. If this is accomplished, they win that amount, the highest possible being £100,000. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words.

The majority of National Lottery scratchcards are sold for £2. These are large scratchcards with two or more chances to win or with better odds than usual to win the maximum cash prize. Originally, all scratchcards were £1, however over recent years, the £2 scratchcards have become available in a wider range and the £1 scratchcards, which have a lower chance of winning, are now available on a lower scale. There are also scratchcards available for £5.

[edit] Daily Play

The Daily Play draw can be played every day but Sunday and Christmas Day. By selecting 7 numbers between 1 and 27, players can win anything from a free lucky-dip to £30,000. The draw gives its players the chance to win a free daily play lucky-dip for not matching any numbers in the draw.

The entry fee to the Daily Play draw is £1 per board

The draw currently has no live broadcast. The results on Saturdays are recorded and announced during the live broadcast of the Lotto, Dream Number and Thunderball draws on BBC One. The Daily Play draw can, however, be watched every day online via the BBC's website.

Match	Prize	Odds of winning
0 numbers	£1 Daily Play Lucky Dip Ticket	1: 11.5
4 numbers	£5	1: 22.3
5 numbers	£30	1: 222.6
6 numbers	£300	1: 6,343.1
7 numbers	£30 000	1: 888,030

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 7.4

Source: National Lottery Daily Play Game Rules & Procedures

[edit] EuroMillions

For more details on this topic, see EuroMillions.

On Saturday 7 February 2004 the lottery organisation Camelot launched a pan-European lottery: EuroMillions. The first draw took place on Friday 13 February 2004 in Paris. The UK, France and Spain were involved initially. Lotteries from Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland joined the draw on 8 October 2004 and the draws are currently made in Paris, and shown in the UK on BBC One. The entry fee to the EuroMillions draw is £1.50 per board. The odds of winning the Jackpot is 1 in 76,275,360.

[edit] Instant Win Games

Instant Win Games are online games where the player can win up to £100,000 instantly. Some Instant Win Games are similar in format to scratchcards, with others involving more interactive play. Instant Win Games can be tried for free and played here: [2]

[edit] Other Ways To Play

As well as by purchasing a ticket at a shop, tickets can be purchased many other ways.

[edit] Online

All National Lottery games can be played online after registering. There are two ways of playing the lotto online.

Subscriptions. Sign up once through Direct Debit and your numbers will be automatically entered. The National Lottery will notify you by email if you have won.

Loaded Account. Load funds into your account and play as and when you want to. The National Lottery will notify you by email if you have won.

[edit] Text

You can play Lotto, Dream Number, Thunderball, EuroMillions, Lotto HotPicks and Daily Play by text. Register and play here: [3]

[edit] Sky Active

You can play Lotto and EuroMillions through Sky Active, buying up to 8 weeks worth of tickets at a time.

[edit] Olympic Lottery

Following the success of London's bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, Olympic Lottery Scratchcards were launched on 27 July 2005 under the brand name "Go for Gold". 28% of the price of £1 goes to the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund, and the scratchcards are intended to raise £750,000,000 ($1,456,836,819) towards the cost of running the games.

[edit] The National Lottery on Television

The majority of National Lottery draws take place on live television. The first National Lottery show (entitled The National Lottery Live: The First Draw) was at 19:00 on Saturday 19 November 1994, and linked to Noel's House Party, as Noel Edmonds drove a lorry from 'Crinkley Bottom' to the BBC Television Centre to present a special hour long show, where 49 contestants would battle it out to become the first person to start the draw. The first number ever to be drawn was number 30. For its first few years, the TV Show took the title The National Lottery Live, and was presented mainly by Anthea Turner or the late Bob Monkhouse. Since, the National Lottery has been well represented on several TV game shows, including Jet Set with Eamonn Holmes, In It To Win It with Dale Winton, and 1 vs. 100 with Dermot O'Leary, all on BBC One. Also, the Euromillions: Boom Bang show which was broadcast every Friday on UKTV Gold. Traditionally, the draws would take place in the BBC studio during the game show on a Saturday. However, in more recent years, the channel holding the lottery draw will take a break at a certain point and switch to 'National Lottery HQ', a designated studio for the draws. The Draws have their own five minute slot on BBC One on Wednesdays, which is hosted by various alternating presenters in the National Lottery HQ Studio.

[edit] National Lottery Xtra

From March 10, 2008, the 'National Lottery Xtra' channel began broadcasting on Freeview, channel 45 for an hour a day. Programming includes content from winners of the jackpot and National Lottery Good Causes projects as well as behind the scenes footage on how the National Lottery is operated.

[edit] 'Good causes'

It was announced during the live Saturday night draw show on 30 March 2007 that The National Lottery has so far raised £20 billion ($39.2 billion) for 'good causes', a programme which distributes money via grants. 28% of lottery revenue goes towards the fund, along with all unclaimed prizes. Additionally, 18% goes to the state. The prize fund is 50% of revenue, with the remaining 10% going towards running costs and profits for the lottery organisers and ticket sellers.

The distribution of money to 'good causes' is not the responsibility of the operator (Camelot). It is the responsibility of The National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF), administered by the government Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Heritage Lottery Fund [4] was set up by the government in 1994 to provide money for "projects involving the local, regional and national heritage". The fund come from the money raised by the National Lottery's 'Good Causes'.^[3] Since 1994, the Heritage Lottery Fund has given grants totalling approximately £4 billion to more than 26,000 projects.^[3]

[edit] Unclaimed prizes

Winning tickets must be claimed within 180 days of the draw taking place. If a prize is unclaimed within that time, it is distributed through the Lotto's Good Causes fund. The highest unclaimed prize distributed this way to date was a winning ticket worth £9,476,995 ($18,283,497) which expired at 17.30 GMT on Monday, 2 January 2006.^[4] This ticket was the 24th prize in excess of one million pounds to be unclaimed.

[edit] Regulation

The National Lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission - a non-departmental public body reporting to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Until 1 April 1999 the National Lottery was regulated by the Office of the National Lottery (known by the acronym OFLOT).

The Lottery was set up in 1993 under the National Lottery etc Act 1993 [5] and was reformed under the National Lottery Act 1998 [6] and the National Lottery Act 2006 [7]