A staker in the national lottery was "last time lucky" yesterday, winning a handsome Lm150,000 with ticket number B95605 in the last draw of the lottery.

The lottery has been scrapped after 55 years because of low ticket sales.

The second prize of Lm10,000 was won with ticket A74218.

Five prizes of Lm1,000 each were won with tickets A81594, A74563, B38643, A47847 and A98609.

Another two prizes of Lm1,000 were won with tickets bearing the same numbers of the ticket or tickets drawn first but having a different letter - A21643 and A95605.

Prizes of Lm500 each were won with tickets B29009, B31601, A98005, A79801, B72883, B81302, B60792, B98784, B92825, A15759, B52348, A04832, A84481, A48935, B31211, B47715, A97058, A84447, B90704 and A09862.

Prizes of Lm100 each were won with the following tickets: B74218, B81594, B74563, A38643, B47847, B98609, A29009, A31601, B98005, B79801, A72883, A81302, A60792, A98784, A92825, B15759, A52348, B04832, B84481, B48935, A31211, A47715, B97058, B84447, A90704 and B09862.

The first edition of the national lottery, known popularly as il-kbira (the big one), was drawn on December 26, 1948 when the first prize amounted to Lm10,000. The jackpot was won by a man from Gozo, Karmenu Mifsud of Qala.

The sale of national lottery tickets nose-dived mainly after the introduction of the Super Five weekly lottery in 1990 and for the past several years it has been running at a loss. Overseas ticket sales also dried out.

Finance Minister John Dalli told parliament that the sale of tickets dropped to 64,816 in April this year, from 95,754 in February, 2001.

In the lottery's heyday, the highest number of tickets sold, reached only twice, was close to 450,000.