National Lottery owner Camelot has announced sweeping changes to its Lotto and EuroMillions games, as well as releasing preliminary details of a new draw game that will launch next year.
The changes follow the company’s recent strategic review that looked to improve the range of National Lottery games, fuel long-term, sustainable growth and raise as much money as possible for good causes.
From November, the Lotto raffle mechanic will be replaced by new larger, fixed cash prizes, which are designed to allow the jackpot to be won or shared more often.
The price and odds for the game will remain unchanged and new ‘Rolldowns’ will see the jackpot shared across all of the winning cash prize tiers if no player matches all 6 main numbers in a must-be-won draw. The jackpot will only be allowed to roll over five times, compared with around 10 rolls under the current system.
The new ‘Rolldown’ mechanic also means prize payouts on Lotto will increase slightly and the prize money from the raffle – which currently comprises 1 x £1 million prize and 20 x £20,000 prizes in every draw – will go into the main Lotto draw, increasing the cash prize for each tier (apart from the jackpot).
From 2019, Camelot will also run more special draws for its EuroMillions game. For example, instead of 10 guaranteed UK millionaires created in a special draw, 30 guaranteed UK millionaires might be created.
To help fund these bigger, more frequent special draws, Camelot will guarantee one UK millionaire in every draw instead of two. This change will come into effect early in the New Year and the prizes on the main game will remain the same.
Finally, Camelot is currently finalising details for a brand new annuity game. Subject to regulatory approval, the game is expected to launch in spring 2019 and will offer a regular, fixed amount of money every month for at least 25 years.
Commenting on the plans, Camelot ceo Nigel Railton said: “It was clear from the review that we needed to create a more appealing and balanced range of games that offers something for everyone. In particular, we needed to make our draw games stand out from each other and to give people the ability to play their way – with prizes, chances to win and prices to suit different tastes.
“The portfolio updates we are announcing will complement the other initiatives we are bringing in across retail and digital, as well as our ongoing work to make The National Lottery brand more relevant and visible – and will ensure that The National Lottery as a whole continues to deliver for both players and Good Causes alike.”
Camelot’s refreshed draw games portfolio now includes: a rolling jackpot game (EuroMillions); a core millionaire-maker game (Lotto); a £1 value game with a top prize of £500,000 (Thunderball); and a brand new annuity game.
Further details on Camelot’s National Lottery strategy can be found on the company’s website.
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