blonde poker forum

The UK National Lottery has shaken up its rules. BBC News explains the changes and how it affects players.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34486328


do you play it?

if not, why not?

if so, why?


do you agree with assertions that it is a voluntary tax, voluntarily paid by the poor and/or stupid.

I don't play it.

Because years ago when Richard Branson offered to run it for free they still gave it to Camelot.

Crooked as f**k.

I do play it,

Because for a couple of quid there's a very slim chance I can retire on Monday and not ever have to worry about money again.

Haven't played for years.  Would rather just have a 40 team acca on the football for £2 if i wanted to have a punt like this. 

I only play when there is a Euromillions double rollover or more simply because £10 million is simply not enough.

Ye similar, I will get involved only when Euro's is 100m+

that because £50m is a bit bowl? ;)

play it occasionally, will win it one day!!

Obv :P

Only time I did it was when it was a work syndicate about 10 years ago, and the only reason I did it was out of spite, I simply didn't want my workmates to win the lottery without me.

Obv tap in is obv ;)

one of my good mates from school got 5 balls and the bonus ball for just short of half a million.

this was within a year of when the lottery started. back then he could have really set himself with a mortgage free property or two and a flash motor.

instead he spunked the lot on drugs,booze,women and gambling.

i still play every week with the vain hope that one day i can win the lot and do exactly the same as he did.

At least he didn't waste it.

I'll chuck a score at the euro when it's a double rollover, but that's only when prompted by the old man.

Like Arb, I'd sooner do a starchaser on the footy, and sweat with Stelling :D

Used to play it when it was a quid. £2 and the new rules are pretty stupid. Think it's had its day with Camelot- let someone else have a go

Is there a website that works out the EV of the weeks ticket?

Most weeks it is £2 cost , EV £1 but some weeks the rollover must make it +ev

Quite suprised that in a forum fuill of punters, hardly anyone does the lottery :D  Too shrewd I guess.

Just watched the video link. Not keen on the increase in numbers, I didn't realise that was happening.

Didn't realise it had moved to £2 and the 59 numbers have changed.  Seems a stupid move to me.  All the big syndicates will just spend the same on half the number of lines and the £1 throwaway casual punters might be put off playing at all.  What is the aim of the changes?  More rollovers as it is harder to win?  Seems crazy to double the price of playing at the same time as making it several times harder to win it.

It doubled a while ago

They want to give a prize of £1m every time (done via the raffle numbers), then multiple roleovers to get some big headline prizes.

Cheers.  I don't follow the lottery at all so have no idea about changes etc.  How does the raffle work to gtd £1m every draw?

In addition to your 6numbers you get a unique second set of numbers letters eg gold 1234 5678 - then one of those gets the mil, at the moment this code gets one of 50 £20 k prizes

Even if it is EV+ with a rollover, the chance of realising the EV is obviously minuscule.  One other issue is the marginal utility of the bigger prize is less than a standard jackpot.  If I ran the lottery I would find a way to distribute the rollover money into the smaller prizes, this would have the effect of getting more people buying tickets thus increasing the jackpot while giving lots more people a little prize and encouraging them to continue playing.

Are Premium Bonds still in existence?

Always thought they were a decent investment. You forego interest, but that interest becomes the prize fund.

Once a week there was a draw, but here's the thing - if you never won, you still had your ticket (unlike the Lottery) & you went in the draw the next week, & the week after, & so on. Pay your quid, & you were in every draw forever more. How good was that?

Yes they are. My Dad regularly gets £25 and £50 wins which he reinvests. Still waiting for the big one.

Mrs C has a few premium bonds, does OKish out of it. Good thing is the money isn't going anywhere, bad thing is that there are only 2 jackpot winners so it's even less chance of winning than the lottery.

Yup, notionally pay 1.35% interest so probably a little better than a standard savings account if you run averagely. If you have dead money that you don't intend to be more speculative with, and with interest rates so low, there's worse places to stick the odd 50K if you have that lying around.

Additional benefit of money being totally secure with NS&I - well unless there's a zombie apocalypse or summat in which case it doesn't really matter

After a quick search online, you get a return of about what the interest rate, whatever that may be.