National Lottery (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The National Lottery is the state-franchised
national lottery
in the United Kingdom
and the Isle of Man
.
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
, and was established by the then prime minister John Major
in 1994.
All prizes are paid as a lump sum and are tax-free. Of every pound
(£) spent on National 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
levied to support the Big Lottery Fund
, a fund constituted to support public spending), 12p to the UK Government as duty and 5p to retailers as commission, while Camelot receives 4.5p to cover operating costs and 0.5p profit.
The National Lottery returns a higher percentage of revenue back to society than any other Lottery.
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. To date, National Lottery games have created over 2,700 UK millionaires.
The UK's state-franchised lottery
was set up under government licence by the government of John Major
in 1993, unlike most state lotteries which are operated by the state The National Lottery is privately operated on a state franchised basis in which the Camelot Group
was awarded on May 25, 1994.
The first draw took place on November 19, 1994 with a special hour long show presented by Noel Edmonds
and the first numbers drawn were 3 5 14 22 30 44 and the bonus was 10 and seven jackpot winners shared a prize of £5,874,778.
Tickets became available on the Isle of Man
on December 2, 1999 at the request of Tynwald
.
The National Lottery undertook a major rebranding programme in 2002 designed to combat falling sales. This resulted in the main game being renamed Lotto and the National Lottery Extra being renamed Lotto Extra. 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
.
In November 2009 Camelot replaced its older Lotto draw machines. The new machines are named Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin, reusing names that were used in older machines. At the same time, new machines for the Thunderball game were introduced. The new Lotto machines are the Magnum II model, manufactured by SmartPlay International Inc., and the new Thunderball machines are the SmartPlay Halogen II model.
; 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, called a Rollover. Until February 2011 this accumulation was limited to three consecutive draws. Rollover draws are a common occurrence, happening once every few draws, although a "treble rollover" is much less common, having happened only 9 times. A new rule, introduced on 10 February 2011, now allows rollovers to accumulate to four consecutive draws, which means that quadruple rollover jackpots may occur in future. The lower the level of ticket sales, the greater the probability of a rollover.
The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board.
The draw is conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays, unless Christmas Day falls on one of those days, in which case it is made on Christmas Eve. Saturday draws started on 19 November 1994, under the name 'National Lottery'. The first Wednesday draw was on 5 February 1997. All draws are shown live on BBC One
in the UK, with the Saturday draw often shown as a live segment in a range of different pre-recorded Lottery branded gameshows throughout the year.
Lotto is by far the most popular draw with around 31 million tickets sold every Saturday and 18 million sold for the Wednesday draw.
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 three-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:
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 to match (up to a maximum of five balls). However, if the player does not match all the numbers chosen, they are not a winner. The National Lottery describes 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 first Thunderball draw was held on 12 June 1999 and the draw was originally only held on Saturdays. The rules of Thunderball changed substantially on 9 May 2010. Before this date, Thunderball matches were drawn from numbers 1 to 34; there was no prize for matching the Thunderball number alone, and the top prize (for matching 5 main numbers and the Thunderball) was half the current jackpot at £250,000. After this date, the Friday draw was introduced in addition to the Wednesday and Saturday draws. Following the change of rules, while the chance of winning anything on Thunderball has more than doubled, the chance of winning the top prizes has more than halved.
The odds and payouts are as follows:
Lotto Plus 5 is a new game aimed to plug the gaps between the Wednesday and Saturday Lotto draws, meaning it takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Players can enter by paying an extra £1 when buying their Lotto ticket, which enters the same ticket numbers into five separate draws. Each draw offers fixed prizes for matching 3, 4, 5 and 6 numbers, with the jackpot being worth £250,000. It has been estimated that the game produces an extra 500,000 Lotto winners every week.
an 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. The draws are currently made in Paris and shown recorded in the UK on BBC One
, approximately 3 hours after the draw has taken place.
The entry fee to the EuroMillions draw is £2.00 per board. The odds of winning the Jackpot is 1 in 116,531,800.
s.
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. Scratchcards can be purchased in most newsagents and supermarkets.
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 currently being £100,000. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words.
Initially, all scratchcards were sold for £1. Over the years, scratchcards that cost £2, £3 or £5 have also become available. More expensive scratchcards are larger and offer more games with higher-value prizes. Some scratchcards even have jackpots other than one-off payments, such as a yearly sum or a car.
Instant Win games are online games where the player can win prizes instantly. Some Instant Win games are similar in format to scratchcards, with others involving more interactive play such as dice-rolling or matching special symbols. It is made clear that the Instant Win games are solely based on luck and that no skill or judgement is involved in winning.
Lotto Extra was introduced on 13 November 2000 and was originally called The National Lottery Extra but renamed Lotto Extra in 2002. It was an add on from the main draw where a player could select "lotto Extra same numbers" or a lucky dip. Players would pick six numbers from 49 and there were no lower tier prizes so a perfect match was required. The last draw was on 8 July 2006 and it was replaced by Dream Number.
Dream Number was launched on 15 July 2006. It involved a random seven digit number generated for entry into the main draw. It was played independently of Lotto, or if played with Lotto one Dream Number was generated per ticket, not per Lotto entry. The cost of entry was £1. A dream number was printed on every Lotto ticket bought, whether the player had chosen to enter it into the draw or not. Unlike other Lotto games, it was not possible to choose the number entered, and the order that the numbers are drawn was significant, as the numbers had to be matched in the same order for the player to win. Players had to match with the first number in order to start winning prizes (ranging from £2 to £500,000), which meant that 90% of players lost as soon as the first ball was drawn. Draws took place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but only the Saturday draw was televised. The Wednesday draw took place prior to the live TV show and the winning dream number was announced during the show. All money raised for good causes from Dream Number went towards the 2012 Summer Olympics
and 2012 Summer Paralympics
in London. The National Lottery closed the Dream Number game on Wednesday 9 February 2011, which was also the date of the last Dream Number draw.
The Daily Play draw could be played every day except Sunday and Christmas Day. By selecting seven numbers between 1 and 27, players could win anything from a free lucky dip to £30,000. The draw gave 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 was £1 per board. The draw had no TV broadcast or recorded online video, making it the only National Lottery ticket-based game with no video evidence that the draw took place. The National Lottery Daily Play Draw ended on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Direct Debit. Players can sign up by registering their bank account details and their saved numbers will be automatically entered. The National Lottery notifies winners by email if they have won although this will not be on the evening of the draw and notification is usually by 12 noon the following day.
Loaded Account. Funds are loaded into a player's account and are played as required. The National Lottery notifies winners by email if they have won on the draw games, or in the case of the lower prize Instant Wins, transfer the winnings to their account. The current minimum loading amount is £5.00 GBP.
, 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 (US$1.14 billion) towards the cost of running the games.
, this was an hour long special, in which 49 contestants competed to become the first person to start the draw, the first person being 18 year old Deborah Walsh. The first number ever to be drawn was 30. For its first few years, the TV show took the title The National Lottery Live, and was presented mainly by Anthea Turner
or Bob Monkhouse
. On 30 November 1996, live on BBC, the draw machine failed to start.
On 20 May 2006, during the draw on The National Lottery Jet Set that took place minutes before the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
, several members of the group Fathers 4 Justice
protested on the set causing the show to be taken off air for several minutes while the protesters were removed from the studio.
Traditionally, the draws would take place in the BBC studio during the game show on a Saturday. However, in more recent years, the channel airing the lottery draw has prerecorded the non-draw parts of the show and then switched to 'National Lottery HQ', a designated studio for the live draws.
Wednesday draws have their own 10-minute slot on BBC One, which is hosted by various presenters in the National Lottery HQ Studio, such as Gethin Jones
, Christopher Biggins
and Scott Mills
, with Alan Dedicoat
providing the commentary. As of 16 July 2011 there have been a total of 1620 draws which consist of 752 Wednesday draws and 868 Saturday draws. In a plan to spread BBC
productions across the United Kingdom, all lottery shows will be relocating to BBC Scotland
. UK Gold additionally hosted the Euromillions: Boom Bang show, which was broadcast every Friday.
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
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'. Since 1994, the Heritage Lottery Fund has given grants totalling approximately £4 billion to more than 26,000 projects.
In 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the National Lottery, the National Lottery Awards were instituted as an annual event to provide recognition of the work of Lottery funded projects around the UK. Certain projects are selected as the best in particular categories. The trophies were designed and produced by Gaudio Awards.
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 and was reformed under the National Lottery Act 1998 and the National Lottery Act 2006
The National Lottery is a member of the World Lottery Association.
As of 17 September 2011:
1Magnum is the designated spare machine, and thus has yet to be used.
2Also note, on the draw on Saturday 17 September 2011, they announced that Arthur with set of balls 3 was chosen, but they were using Guinevere due to technical difficulties. Arthur wasn't used again until the draw on Saturday 8 October 2011.
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
national lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
It is operated by Camelot Group
Camelot Group
Camelot GroupCamelot is a private limited company, its entire share issue is owned by a single shareholder, as detailed above. are the operators of the UK National Lottery. Camelot Group was awarded the National Lottery franchise in 1993 and was re-awarded the franchise in 2001 and again in 2007...
, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission
National Lottery Commission
The National Lottery Commission is the non-departmental public body set up on 1 April 1999 under the National Lottery Act 1998 to regulate the National Lottery...
, and was established by the then prime minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in 1994.
All prizes are paid as a lump sum and are tax-free. Of every pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
(£) spent on National 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
Stealth tax
A stealth tax is a tax levied in such a way that is largely unnoticed, or not recognized as a tax,. The phrase was generally used in the United Kingdom by Conservatives to attack the New Labour government's behaviour...
levied to support the Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
, a fund constituted to support public spending), 12p to the UK Government as duty and 5p to retailers as commission, while Camelot receives 4.5p to cover operating costs and 0.5p profit.
The National Lottery returns a higher percentage of revenue back to society than any other Lottery.
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. To date, National Lottery games have created over 2,700 UK millionaires.
History
A statute of 1698 provided that in England lotteries were by default illegal unless specifically authorised by statute. An 1934 Act legalised small lotteries, which was further liberalised in 1956 and 1976. There could be no big national lottery until the Government established one, however.The UK's state-franchised lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
was set up under government licence by the government of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in 1993, unlike most state lotteries which are operated by the state The National Lottery is privately operated on a state franchised basis in which the Camelot Group
Camelot Group
Camelot GroupCamelot is a private limited company, its entire share issue is owned by a single shareholder, as detailed above. are the operators of the UK National Lottery. Camelot Group was awarded the National Lottery franchise in 1993 and was re-awarded the franchise in 2001 and again in 2007...
was awarded on May 25, 1994.
The first draw took place on November 19, 1994 with a special hour long show presented by Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
and the first numbers drawn were 3 5 14 22 30 44 and the bonus was 10 and seven jackpot winners shared a prize of £5,874,778.
Tickets became available on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
on December 2, 1999 at the request of Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
.
The National Lottery undertook a major rebranding programme in 2002 designed to combat falling sales. This resulted in the main game being renamed Lotto and the National Lottery Extra being renamed Lotto Extra. 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
Gambling in the United Kingdom
Gambling in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Gambling Commission on behalf of the government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport under the Gambling Act 2005...
.
In November 2009 Camelot replaced its older Lotto draw machines. The new machines are named Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin, reusing names that were used in older machines. At the same time, new machines for the Thunderball game were introduced. The new Lotto machines are the Magnum II model, manufactured by SmartPlay International Inc., and the new Thunderball machines are the SmartPlay Halogen II model.
Eligibility
- Players must be 16 years or older
- Retailer rules do not exclude foreign players, so players physically buying a ticket at a UK lottery retailer can be of any nationality
- Online purchase of tickets from http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/ — is limited to players who have a UK bank account (for debit card or direct debit purposes), a UK or Isle of Man residential address and are physically present in the UK or Isle of Man when making the ticket purchase.
- The ticket purchaser for a syndicate, typically the manager of said syndicate, must follow the same eligibility rules that apply to non-syndicate individual players. Note that the remaining members of the syndicate can be of any nationality, but must also be aged 16 or over
- Lottery tickets are not transferable, so commercial syndicates (i.e. where extra charges are levied over and above the total face value of the tickets purchased) are not permitted
Games
Several games operate under the National Lottery brand: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. Players choose 6 numbers themselves, or can play a 'Lucky Dip', where 6 numbers are picked automatically at the time of purchase. 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 only applies to players who have matched 5 of the 6 main numbers. Anyone matching all six drawn numbers wins a share of the jackpotProgressive jackpot
A progressive jackpot is a jackpot for a gaming machine where the value of the jackpot increases a small amount for every game played...
; 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, called a Rollover. Until February 2011 this accumulation was limited to three consecutive draws. Rollover draws are a common occurrence, happening once every few draws, although a "treble rollover" is much less common, having happened only 9 times. A new rule, introduced on 10 February 2011, now allows rollovers to accumulate to four consecutive draws, which means that quadruple rollover jackpots may occur in future. The lower the level of ticket sales, the greater the probability of a rollover.
The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board.
The draw is conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays, unless Christmas Day falls on one of those days, in which case it is made on Christmas Eve. Saturday draws started on 19 November 1994, under the name 'National Lottery'. The first Wednesday draw was on 5 February 1997. All draws are shown live on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in the UK, with the Saturday draw often shown as a live segment in a range of different pre-recorded Lottery branded gameshows throughout the year.
Lotto is by far the most popular draw with around 31 million tickets sold every Saturday and 18 million sold for the Wednesday draw.
| Matching numbers | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 3 numbers | £10 per winner | 55.656 to 1 |
| 4 numbers | 22% of remaining fund | 1,031.4 to 1 |
| 5 numbers | 10% of remaining fund | 55,490 to 1 |
| 5 numbers and bonus ball | 16% of remaining fund | 2,330,635 to 1 |
| 6 numbers | 52% of remaining fund | 13,983,815 to 1 |
| The overall odds of winning any prize is 52.655 to 1. | ||
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 three-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:
Lotto Hotpicks
| Match | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 number | £5 | 1 in 9 |
| 2 numbers | £40 | 1 in 79 |
| 3 numbers | £450 | 1 in 922 |
| 4 numbers | £7,000 | 1 in 14,126 |
| 5 numbers | £130,000 | 1 in 317,814 |
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 to match (up to a maximum of five balls). However, if the player does not match all the numbers chosen, they are not a winner. The National Lottery describes 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.
Thunderball
The Thunderball draw requires players to pick five main numbers from 1 to 39 and one 'Thunderball' number from 1 to 14 for an entry fee of £1 per board. Prizes may be won by matching the main numbers, with matches of the Thunderball number winning higher prizes. The top prize of the game, now £500,000, is won by matching all five main numbers as well as the Thunderball. There is also a new £3 prize for matching the Thunderball alone. Draws now take place on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and are televised live on BBC One.The first Thunderball draw was held on 12 June 1999 and the draw was originally only held on Saturdays. The rules of Thunderball changed substantially on 9 May 2010. Before this date, Thunderball matches were drawn from numbers 1 to 34; there was no prize for matching the Thunderball number alone, and the top prize (for matching 5 main numbers and the Thunderball) was half the current jackpot at £250,000. After this date, the Friday draw was introduced in addition to the Wednesday and Saturday draws. Following the change of rules, while the chance of winning anything on Thunderball has more than doubled, the chance of winning the top prizes has more than halved.
The odds and payouts are as follows:
| Old (1999–2010) | New (after May 2010) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Prize | Odds of winning | Prize | Odds of winning |
| Thunderball only | ||||
| £3 | 1 in 14 | |||
| 1 + Thunderball | £5 | 1 in 33 | £5 | 1 in 35 |
| 2 + Thunderball | £10 | 1 in 107 | £10 | 1 in 135 |
| 3 numbers | £10 | 1 in 74 | £10 | 1 in 111 |
| 3 + Thunderball | £20 | 1 in 960 | £20 | 1 in 1,437 |
| 4 numbers | £100 | 1 in 2,067 | £100 | 1 in 3,647 |
| 4 + Thunderball | £250 | 1 in 26,866 | £250 | 1 in 47,415 |
| 5 numbers | £5,000 | 1 in 299,661 | £5,000 | 1 in 620,046 |
| 5 + Thunderball | £250,000 | 1 in 3,895,584 | £500,000 | 1 in 8,060,598 |
Lotto Plus 5
| Matching Numbers | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 3 numbers | £2.50 | 56.65592 to 1 |
| 4 numbers | £25 | 1,032.397 to 1 |
| 5 numbers | £250 | 55,491.33 to 1 |
| 5 numbers and bonus ball | £25,000 | 2,330,636 to 1 |
| 6 numbers | £250,000 | 13,983,815 to 1 |
| The overall odds of winning any prize is 52.65514 to 1 per draw. | ||
| The overall odds of winning any prize is 10.13855 to 1 per Plus 5 draw week. | ||
Lotto Plus 5 is a new game aimed to plug the gaps between the Wednesday and Saturday Lotto draws, meaning it takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Players can enter by paying an extra £1 when buying their Lotto ticket, which enters the same ticket numbers into five separate draws. Each draw offers fixed prizes for matching 3, 4, 5 and 6 numbers, with the jackpot being worth £250,000. It has been estimated that the game produces an extra 500,000 Lotto winners every week.
EuroMillions
On Saturday 7 February 2004 the lottery organisation Camelot launched a pan-EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an lottery: EuroMillions. The first draw took place on Friday 13 February 2004 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The UK, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
were involved initially. Lotteries from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
joined the draw on 8 October 2004. The draws are currently made in Paris and shown recorded in the UK on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, approximately 3 hours after the draw has taken place.
The entry fee to the EuroMillions draw is £2.00 per board. The odds of winning the Jackpot is 1 in 116,531,800.
Scratchcards and Instant Wins
As well as tickets for the Draw Games, the National Lottery also sells scratchcardScratchcard
A scratchcard is a small card, often made of thin paper-based card for competitions and plastic to conceal PINs, where one or more areas contain concealed information which can...
s.
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. Scratchcards can be purchased in most newsagents and supermarkets.
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 currently being £100,000. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words.
Initially, all scratchcards were sold for £1. Over the years, scratchcards that cost £2, £3 or £5 have also become available. More expensive scratchcards are larger and offer more games with higher-value prizes. Some scratchcards even have jackpots other than one-off payments, such as a yearly sum or a car.
Instant Win games are online games where the player can win prizes instantly. Some Instant Win games are similar in format to scratchcards, with others involving more interactive play such as dice-rolling or matching special symbols. It is made clear that the Instant Win games are solely based on luck and that no skill or judgement is involved in winning.
Lotto Extra
| Match | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 6 numbers | Jackpot | 1 in 13,983,815 |
| The maximum jackpot was £50m | ||
Lotto Extra was introduced on 13 November 2000 and was originally called The National Lottery Extra but renamed Lotto Extra in 2002. It was an add on from the main draw where a player could select "lotto Extra same numbers" or a lucky dip. Players would pick six numbers from 49 and there were no lower tier prizes so a perfect match was required. The last draw was on 8 July 2006 and it was replaced by Dream Number.
Dream Number
| Match | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st number only | £2 | 1 in 11.2 |
| 1st 2 numbers | £10 | 1 in 111.2 |
| 1st 3 numbers | £100 | 1 in 1,111.2 |
| 1st 4 numbers | £500 | 1 in 11,112 |
| 1st 5 numbers | £5,000 | 1 in 111,112 |
| 1st 6 numbers | £50,000 | 1 in 1,111,112 |
| all 7 numbers | £500,000 | 1 in 10,000,000 |
| The overall odds of winning any prize were 1 in 10. Source: National Lottery Players Guide |
||
Dream Number was launched on 15 July 2006. It involved a random seven digit number generated for entry into the main draw. It was played independently of Lotto, or if played with Lotto one Dream Number was generated per ticket, not per Lotto entry. The cost of entry was £1. A dream number was printed on every Lotto ticket bought, whether the player had chosen to enter it into the draw or not. Unlike other Lotto games, it was not possible to choose the number entered, and the order that the numbers are drawn was significant, as the numbers had to be matched in the same order for the player to win. Players had to match with the first number in order to start winning prizes (ranging from £2 to £500,000), which meant that 90% of players lost as soon as the first ball was drawn. Draws took place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but only the Saturday draw was televised. The Wednesday draw took place prior to the live TV show and the winning dream number was announced during the show. All money raised for good causes from Dream Number went towards the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
and 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
in London. The National Lottery closed the Dream Number game on Wednesday 9 February 2011, which was also the date of the last Dream Number draw.
Daily Play
| Match | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 numbers | £1 Daily Play Lucky Dip Ticket |
1 in 11.5 |
| 4 numbers | £5 | 1 in 22.3 |
| 5 numbers | £30 | 1 in 222.6 |
| 6 numbers | £300 | 1 in 6,343.1 |
| 7 numbers | £30,000 | 1 in 888,030 |
| The overall odds of winning a prize were 1 in 7.4 Source: National Lottery Daily Play Game Rules & Procedures |
||
The Daily Play draw could be played every day except Sunday and Christmas Day. By selecting seven numbers between 1 and 27, players could win anything from a free lucky dip to £30,000. The draw gave 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 was £1 per board. The draw had no TV broadcast or recorded online video, making it the only National Lottery ticket-based game with no video evidence that the draw took place. The National Lottery Daily Play Draw ended on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Other ways to play
As well as by purchasing a ticket at a shop, tickets can be purchased many other ways.Online
All National Lottery games can be played online after registering. There are two ways of playing the lotto online.Direct Debit. Players can sign up by registering their bank account details and their saved numbers will be automatically entered. The National Lottery notifies winners by email if they have won although this will not be on the evening of the draw and notification is usually by 12 noon the following day.
Loaded Account. Funds are loaded into a player's account and are played as required. The National Lottery notifies winners by email if they have won on the draw games, or in the case of the lower prize Instant Wins, transfer the winnings to their account. The current minimum loading amount is £5.00 GBP.
Text
Players can play the Lotto, Dream Number, Thunderball, EuroMillions, Lotto HotPicks and Daily Play by text after registering their mobile phone number.Sky Active
Lotto and EuroMillions were once available for play through Sky Active; however, this service was discontinued in September 2009. Prior to its discontinuation, players could purchase up to eight weeks worth of tickets at a time. https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/skyactive.ftlOlympic Lottery
Following the success of London's bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, 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 (US$1.14 billion) towards the cost of running the games.
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. Presented by Noel EdmondsNoel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
, this was an hour long special, in which 49 contestants competed to become the first person to start the draw, the first person being 18 year old Deborah Walsh. The first number ever to be drawn was 30. For its first few years, the TV show took the title The National Lottery Live, and was presented mainly by Anthea Turner
Anthea Turner
Anthea Millicent Turner is an English television presenter and media personality.-Education:Turner was educated at the independent St. Dominic's High School in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent....
or Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE was an English entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host...
. On 30 November 1996, live on BBC, the draw machine failed to start.
On 20 May 2006, during the draw on The National Lottery Jet Set that took place minutes before the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
, several members of the group Fathers 4 Justice
Fathers 4 Justice
Fathers 4 Justice began as a fathers’ rights organisation in the United Kingdom. It became prominent and frequently discussed in the media following a series of high-visibility stunts and protests often in costume. It was temporarily disbanded in January 2006, following allegations of a plot by...
protested on the set causing the show to be taken off air for several minutes while the protesters were removed from the studio.
Traditionally, the draws would take place in the BBC studio during the game show on a Saturday. However, in more recent years, the channel airing the lottery draw has prerecorded the non-draw parts of the show and then switched to 'National Lottery HQ', a designated studio for the live draws.
Wednesday draws have their own 10-minute slot on BBC One, which is hosted by various presenters in the National Lottery HQ Studio, such as Gethin Jones
Gethin Jones
Gethin Clifford Jones is a Welsh television presenter who has co-presented the BBC children's programme Blue Peter....
, Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins
Christopher Kenneth Biggins is an English actor and media personality.-Career:Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups...
and Scott Mills
Scott Mills
Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1...
, with Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat is an announcer and on various programmes on BBC One and BBC Radio 2; he is probably best known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes on BBC One. He also reads the news on BBC Radio 2 where he is nicknamed Deadly.-Early Life:He was born on 1 December 1954...
providing the commentary. As of 16 July 2011 there have been a total of 1620 draws which consist of 752 Wednesday draws and 868 Saturday draws. In a plan to spread BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
productions across the United Kingdom, all lottery shows will be relocating to BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
. UK Gold additionally hosted the Euromillions: Boom Bang show, which was broadcast every Friday.
National Lottery Xtra
Between 10 March 2008 and 1 February 2010, the "National Lottery Xtra" channel was broadcast on Freeview channel 45 for one hour a day. Programming included content from winners of the jackpot and National Lottery Good Causes projects, as well as behind-the-scenes footage on how the National Lottery was operated.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 (US$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, 12% 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
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
.
The Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
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'. Since 1994, the Heritage Lottery Fund has given grants totalling approximately £4 billion to more than 26,000 projects.
In 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the National Lottery, the National Lottery Awards were instituted as an annual event to provide recognition of the work of Lottery funded projects around the UK. Certain projects are selected as the best in particular categories. The trophies were designed and produced by Gaudio Awards.
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 which expired at 17.30 GMT on Monday, 2 January 2006. This ticket was the 24th prize in excess of one million pounds to be unclaimed.Regulation
The National Lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission — a non-departmental public bodyNon-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
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 and was reformed under the National Lottery Act 1998 and the National Lottery Act 2006
National Lottery Act 2006
The National Lottery Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It implemented those decisions contained in the National Lottery Licensing and Regulation and National Lottery Funding Decision Documents published on 3 July 2003, and in the Review Decision Document published on 26...
The National Lottery is a member of the World Lottery Association.
Machine appearances
Below is a table of how many times each machine has appeared in the main National Lottery, or Lotto game.As of 17 September 2011:
| Machine | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Amethyst | 172 |
| Arthur | 298 |
| Galahad | 52 |
| Garnet | 16 |
| Guinevere2 | 260 |
| Lancelot | 211 |
| Magnum1 | 0 |
| Merlin | 139 |
| Moonstone | 66 |
| Opal | 56 |
| Pearl | 32 |
| Sapphire | 135 |
| Topaz | 157 |
| Vyvyan | 48 |
1Magnum is the designated spare machine, and thus has yet to be used.
2Also note, on the draw on Saturday 17 September 2011, they announced that Arthur with set of balls 3 was chosen, but they were using Guinevere due to technical difficulties. Arthur wasn't used again until the draw on Saturday 8 October 2011.
Ball set uses
As of 17 September 2011| Set Number | Uses |
|---|---|
| 1 | 192 |
| 2 | 204 |
| 3 | 209 |
| 4 | 212 |
| 5 | 192 |
| 6 | 206 |
| 7 | 204 |
| 8 | 160 |
| 9 | 0 |
| 10 | 4 |
| 11 | 21 |
| 12 | 18 |
| 13 | 0 |
| 14 | 20 |
Game shows
- Big TicketBig Ticket (game show)Big Ticket, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 28 March 1998 to 11 July 1998. The programme was hosted by Patrick Kielty and Anthea Turner.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
(28 March 1998 - 11 July 1998) - We've Got Your NumberWe've Got Your NumberWe've Got Your Number is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 27 February 1999 to 15 May 1999. The programme was hosted by Brian Conley.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
(27 February 1999 - 15 May 1999) - Winning LinesWinning LinesWinning Lines was a National Lottery game show produced by Celador that ran on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 12 June 1999 to 16 October 2004. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo from 1999 to 2000, then Phillip Schofield from 2001 to 2004....
(12 June 1999 - 16 October 2004) - Red AlertRed Alert (game show)Red Alert, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 13 November 1999 to 8 April 2000. The programme was hosted by Lulu.-Transmissions:-Series 1:-Series 2:...
(13 November 1999 - 8 April 2000) - On the SpotOn the Spot (UK game show)On the Spot is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 29 July 2000 to 2 September 2000. The programme was hosted by Des O'Connor.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
(29 July 2000 - 2 September 2000) - Jet Set (13 January 2001 - 8 August 2007)
- In It to Win ItIn It To Win ItIn It to Win It, is a BBC National Lottery game show broadcast on BBC One since 18 May 2002. The programme is hosted by Dale Winton.-Format:...
(18 May 2002 – present) - Wright Around the WorldWright Around the WorldWright Around the World, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 25 October 2003 to 8 January 2005. The programme was hosted by Ian Wright.-Transmissions:-Series 1:-Series 2:...
(25 October 2003 - 8 January 2005) - Come and Have a Go If You Think You're Smart EnoughCome and Have a Go If You Think You're Smart EnoughCome and Have a Go If You Think You're Smart Enough, also known as The National Lottery: Come and Have a Go If You Think You're Smart Enough for series 2, is a BBC National Lottery game show the was broadcast on BBC One from 3 April 2004 to 25 June 2005...
(3 April 2004 - 25 June 2005) - Millionaire ManorMillionaire ManorMillionaire Manor is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 3 December 2005 to 4 March 2006. The programme was hosted by Mark Durden-Smith.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
(3 December 2005 - 4 March 2006) - 1 vs. 1001 vs. 100 (UK game show)1 vs. 100, was a BBC National Lottery game show broadcast on BBC One from 30 September 2006 to 23 May 2009. The programme was originally hosted by Dermot O'Leary for the first 2 series then, Ben Shephard took over to host the show for the last 2 series....
(30 September 2006 - 23 May 2009) - The People's QuizThe People's QuizThe People's Quiz, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 24 March 2007 to 23 June 2007. The programme was hosted by Jamie Theakston...
(24 March 2007 - 23 June 2007) - Who Dares WinsWho Dares Wins (UK game show)Who Dares Wins is a BBC National Lottery game show broadcast on BBC One since 17 November 2007. The programme is hosted by Nick Knowles.-Format:...
(17 November 2007 – present) - This Time TomorrowThis Time TomorrowThis Time Tomorrow, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 5 July 2008 to 23 August 2008. The programme was hosted by Tess Daly.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
(5 July 2008 - 23 August 2008) - GuesstimationGuesstimation (game show)Guesstimation is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 11 July 2009 to 29 August 2009. The programme was hosted by Nick Knowles and was based on the Dutch show Wat Schat je?.-Format:...
(11 July 2009 - 29 August 2009) - Secret FortuneSecret FortuneSecret Fortune is a BBC National Lottery game show that is broadcast on BBC One. It began on the 12 February 2011 and is hosted by Nick Knowles.-Format:...
(12 February 2011 – present)
See also
- List of lotteries
- Millennium CommissionMillennium CommissionThe Millennium Commission in the United Kingdom was set up to aid communities at the end of the 2nd millennium and the start of the 3rd millennium. It used funding raised through the UK National Lottery....
- Big Lottery FundBig Lottery FundThe Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
- Heritage Lottery FundHeritage Lottery FundThe Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
- National Health Service LotteryNational Health Service LotteryThe National Health Service Lottery was a failed lottery scheme designed to provide funding for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom...
- National Lottery (Ireland)National Lottery (Ireland)The National Lottery is the state lottery of Ireland. It was founded when the Oireachtas passed the to support initiatives in the areas of sport and recreation, health and welfare, national heritage and the arts, and the Irish language. Since gaming operations began on 23 March 1987, over €3.6...
- The Health LotteryThe Health LotteryThe Health Lottery is a lottery in Great Britain launched in October 2011 where players must choose five different numbers from the range 1 to 50 and match at least three in order to win a prize...
External links
- National Lottery website
- Archive of results
- National Lottery Commission
- The lottery's winners and losers — a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
news article about the National Lottery's first ten years - The National Lottery – the first 15 years (PDF; 459 KB; 64p), House of Commons Library, Research Paper , 09/93, 14 December 2009
- "Ten years of the Lottery", New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
special supplement, 8 November 2004 - The Lottery — it shouldn't be you — The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 27 January 2006 — an article critical of the Lottery