Lottery to extend range of options based on Lotto draw

A NEW National Lottery game which will allow bets on one or more numbers coming up in the Lotto draw will begin next month.

The new game, Lotto 5-4-3-2-1, is almost identical to the Lucky Numbers game run by bookmaker shops, and bookmakers have said they will respond.

The Allied Betting Shops Association called for the 10 per cent betting tax to be made applicable to the new game.

The director of the National Lottery, Mr Ray Bates, said he is hoping to see "increased participation and increased spending" on National Lottery games as a result of the development.

He said the new game was in response to "player demand" and was not due to concern about the bookies' game.

A total of £25 million is spent annually on the Lucky Numbers game. The National Lottery last year lobbied the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, to outlaw the bookies' game but was not successful.

Mr Aidan Cullen, manager of Jack Gamble's bookmakers, of Thomas Street, Dublin, said he had no doubt there would be a response from the bookies to the National Lottery move.

"The bookies will come up with something, holidays in Majorca, who knows.

The Lucky Numbers game was very popular, he said.

People who wish to bet on Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 will be able to do so using new slips which can be entered into the National Lottery terminals.

A £1 bet on a particular number coming up in a six number game, (i.e. excluding the bonus number) will result in a £5 win if that number is drawn. If £2 is bet then the prize is doubled, and so on up to a maximum bet of £5.

A bet of £1 on five numbers coming up in a six number game will result in a win of £49,000 if successful. Again the winnings are doubled if the bet is, and the maximum bet is £5.

With a seven number game, (i.e. including the bonus number) the prize for a successful £1 bet on one number is £4, with the prize for a £1 bet on five numbers being £20,000.

The Lucky Numbers game gives 5/1 odds for a single number in a six number game, and 10,000/1 odds for five numbers in a six number game.

The equivalent odds for a seven number game are 4/1 and 15,000/1.

The Lotto odds are the most favourable and bets in bookies' shops are liable to 10 per cent tax. This is not the case with Lotto 5-4-3-2-1.

The National Lottery will release odds for bets on two, three and four numbers as the launch date for the new game approaches. The game will start on Thursday, February 13th, with the results of the first game based on the Lotto draw of Saturday, February 15th.