Did Camelot Spoil The Lottery For The Majority Of Us?

[Janus 28]

From the start of the national lottery we used to run a syndicate. There  were about 6 members. Invariably  a 3rd of the annual ticket costs were paid for from the winnings we accrued each year. We never won big, but with a share of six tickets each week, it seemed much better than going it alone, and all for a quid each.

Before Camelot added 10 extra balls to the draw, the odds were 1 in 14 million. After adding  those 10 balls the odds went to 1 in 45 million, if the stats quoted online are correct. At that point we stopped playing.

I don't feel we were the only ones that lost sight  of the fun element. Doubling the price of the tickets will have also contributed to the lack of enthusiasm for many.

Something happens 'psychologically' when an item  only costs one pound . I remember watching a TV documentary about the pound shops. A similar thing was mentioned. You go in there and buy an item-"cos it's only costs a quid".

A Facebook group called 'Boycott the National Lottery'
has been set up by disgruntled punters. It does not surprise me.

I would have like to have seen Richard Branson  have a go at running the Lottery. I feel he would have improved things for Joe public.

[lobster 54]

I agree with most of this apart from Richard Branson , Richard Branson is all about Richard Branson . Given his track record on most of his enterprises I wouldn't let him anywhere near the lottery

[melthebell 862]

dunno, never done it

[Magneteer 20]

Fully agree, they made a complete pigs ear of it. The lottery was a good earner for the charities it served and the higher prizes were worth having a gamble for.  In the nineties a 15-20k jackpot was normal and most people I know had a punt. In our work syndicate, there were 16 of us and one time we won £1600. But once it was re-hashed and put up to £2 a ticket, no one was bothered so we called it a day.  The income now can only be a fraction of what it was 20 years ago, and I don't know anyone who plays it now, 

[Janus 28]

I know where you are coming from Lobster.

 

I would just like someone else to be given a chance to have a go. Someone who will be more considerate towards the paying public.

 

Regarding the price rise from a pound, what was wrong with say a 10% increase or even 20%. But no, there had to be greed with a 100% price hike and spoil  good thing. 

 

If the ball quantity had remained at 49 and the price at a quid, we all could have benefited-the punters, the charities and Camelot. 

 

All businesses have overheads. I would imagine there would not be any great outlay of money for Camelot, compared to the majority of companies with a similar figure of turnover.

 

 

[RiffRaff 10]

Still have a go most Saturdays - a throwback to the "have to be in it to win it" days! - but always have a crack when it's a 5 x rolldown like last night's draw.

If I have any freebies left over from other draws,  I bang those in as well, so yesterday's effort totalled 14 lines.

The result?

The same one number, 3 times.

Not even a sniff of a free lucky dip!

 

Interestingly, Camelot's parent company has been the "Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan" for some years now. They also run the Illinois State Lottery in the US.  

 

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by RiffRaff

[whiteowl 54]

I'm with you on this Janus - I stopped playing when it went up to £2 for pretty much the reason you stated.

 

When it was £1 my head said it was just a quid, a bit of fun - when it went up to £2 it became (in my head anyway!) an expense. An expense that I chose to do without,

[PRESLEY 1,224]

It would have been better if it had come to  Branson , fiddling Goverment. 

[bassett one 449]

i heard the income has increased and the amount paid out to good causes has increased,our festival and many others accross the land,plus many childrens centres and many charities all gain a huge amount,which results in millions of stall holders,good causes ,music industry ect ,ect all gaining work,the public gains as well via ,new parks improvement,its endless,at the momemt or since covid ,millions have been put in to help,just look at there site,plus theres tickets,thunderball,and more all helping our country,so your £2 helps millions,well worth a punt if you can afford it as its much more than a bet,and i on behalf of our group and millions more thank everyone for its creation.

[alarmingmark 32]

It got too confusing with multiple draws and midweek draws , plus other add ons ! Camelot got greedy and most people stopped playing !

[Thirsty Relic 209]

Yep, it's gone the same way as the football pools.  I used to do Empire, then Vernons, then Littlewoods.  All good fun from being a young lad all the years to being an old bloke.  Saturday night checking the results.  That ended for me when I realised that I was sending a cheque to the pools company more regular that I should have been.  They had started using results from elsewhere as a midweek competition I knew nothing about!  A few years later, they are still occasionally sending me coupons, hoping I get back with them.

 

I switched to the National Lottery, but when it went to £2 I stopped being a regular player.  I do the Lottery occasionally when there is a big rollover, but now the results are not on teletext even fewer people are doing it.  Not sure when the Camelot contract ends, but I hope it goes to another tender - with a big rebrand!

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

19 minutes ago, Thirsty Relic said:

Yep, it's gone the same way as the football pools.  I used to do Empire, then Vernons, then Littlewoods.  All good fun from being a young lad all the years to being an old bloke.  Saturday night checking the results.  That ended for me when I realised that I was sending a cheque to the pools company more regular that I should have been.  They had started using results from elsewhere as a midweek competition I knew nothing about!  A few years later, they are still occasionally sending me coupons, hoping I get back with them.

 

I switched to the National Lottery, but when it went to £2 I stopped being a regular player.  I do the Lottery occasionally when there is a big rollover, but now the results are not on teletext even fewer people are doing it.  Not sure when the Camelot contract ends, but I hope it goes to another tender - with a big rebrand!

Given the lottery is onow well over 20 years old surely its more the case that games, players and how they play has completely evolved over time.

 

The days of the Saturday queue at the lottery counter and gathering round the telly tickets in hand are long gone but I suspect significant numbers still reguarly play online or on their phones or even have direct debits set up with results / winning notifications automatically sent to them by email.   No need to waste money on an expensive cheesy, long winded televised game show anymore.  

 

There must still be plenty buying because the jackpot and prize winner fund has certainly kept high.  

Edited November 29, 2020 by ECCOnoob