Lotto players are in for a significant change this week as they will now have two opportunities to win from a single line of numbers, but the prizes for matching fewer numbers will be reduced. Each line will now be entered into two separate draws, each with a set of six main balls and a bonus ball drawn using different machines.
Participants can potentially win in both rounds or just one from a single Lotto line. The cost per line remains unchanged at £2, and the total number of balls in play will still be 59. The draws will continue to take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting this Wednesday.
Allwyn, the operator of the National Lottery, has stated that the odds of winning any prize will improve significantly, from one in 9.3 to one in 4.9. Additionally, the number of Lotto millionaires is projected to double from approximately 140 per year to around 345.
However, the prizes for matching lower numbers will be reduced under the new format. For example, matching three balls will now award £10 instead of £30, while matching four balls will give £50 instead of £140. The prize for matching five balls has decreased from £1,750 to £1,000. Even matching two balls, which previously granted a free lucky dip, will now win £1.
There are now two ways to become a millionaire in the game: a fixed £1 million prize for matching five numbers and the bonus ball, and a guaranteed £1 million-plus jackpot for matching all six main numbers. Jackpots will start at £2 million and can roll over up to five times before being awarded at the next draw, with the jackpot amount split between both rounds.
The transformation in the Lotto game is described by Allwyn as the most significant change since its inception in 1994. Lotto HotPicks will also adopt the new two-round format while maintaining its price at £1 per play.
An Allwyn spokesperson emphasized that this change will enhance Lotto’s reputation as the nation’s ‘millionaire maker,’ with the expectation of creating over six millionaires per week, up from the current two. Regular players are likely to see an overall increase in prize money won over the year, despite the reduction in some lower-tier fixed prizes.
In addition to the Lotto changes, Allwyn has revealed plans to introduce a UK version of Powerball, the first “£1 billion-plus mega-jackpot game” in the country. UK Powerball players will select five main numbers from one to 69 and one Powerball number from one to 26 or opt for a Lucky Dip. The jackpot prize will be paid out over 30 years to UK winners, with each line costing £4 to play. The exact launch date for Powerball is pending final regulatory approval.
