Player Reactions to the UK Lotto Changes

Since the organisers of the UK Lotto announced they would be making some significant changes to the main lottery game in October 2013, players have been divided in their opinions on the matter. The changes include increasing the size of the jackpots and introducing a brand new Lotto Raffle, but the most controversial of these changes is the price increase. We take a look at some player reactions to date.

Since the National Lottery was started in the UK in 1994, there have been several changes made to how to game is played. However this is the first time there has been an increase in price, with the cost of one line of numbers doubling from £1 to £2. While the organisers say this will help them increase the size of the jackpots and offer bigger, better prizes, lottery players have hit back, labelling the increase as “greedy” and even threatening to boycott the game.

The changes have prompted furious debate on social media. Some players are arguing that they will not be able to afford to play the same number of lines under the new price and other players are supporting the changes and welcoming the additional chances to win in the form of the Lotto Raffle, a new game which will see at least 50 players win a guaranteed £20,000 during each draw. A sample of comments can be seen below:

“Price rises, caused for whatever reason, are a fact of modern life. They occur frequently and we all have to live with them, adapting our lives as necessary if we need to.”

“Shocking decision to double the price. Many people do the same lines and will feel forced to pay in fear of their numbers coming up!”

“Think the doubling of the price of a ticket is the nudge I need to pack in.”

“Really, if you want to win bigger prizes, you’ve got the option of doing the Euromillions, leave the Lotto as it is.”

“Will try my luck for the Raffles … £20000 would do nicely.”

“This is a great idea. There is more bigger prizes.”

Organizers have responded to the negative feedback by saying the changes were a result of feedback from players who wanted the chance to win more prizes and bigger jackpots. They also state that the move is an attempt to reinvigorate the game, which has been suffering from falling player numbers for several years now.

“Lotto has been declining over the last few years, this is about what players want, and they want more ways to win more money,” a spokesperson for the UK Lotto explained.

If you want to read about the changes in more detail, there is a helpful article named UK Lotto Changes on Saturday 5th October 2013 on National-Lottery.com.