Lottery prices set for steep rise

Riding your gambling luck is about to become costlier, with ticket prices for both the Super 5 and the lotto both set to rise considerably this week.

People will just turn to gambling rackets instead

A Super 5 ticket will now cost €2 instead of €1.50, while the minimum lotto gamble will double to 50c. Lotto winning multipliers have also been lowered across the board.

And although jackpot winnings are set to rise, punters at lotto booths yesterday were distinctly unimpressed by news of the changes.

“It’s another nail in the lotto’s coffin,” said one lotto seller in Valletta, who believed the changes reflected national lotto organiser Maltco’s lack of interest in the game.

“Maltco would rather do without the lotto and get people playing the Quaterno instead. But the lotto’s been part of our culture since the 1920s. People won’t stop playing, they’ll just turn to gambling rackets instead.”

Another lotto seller in Valletta agreed. “It looks like they’re trying to discourage people from playing the lotto. I’m expecting lots of complaints when customers come in on Monday. Black market gambling has been growing and this will boost it even more.”

The Super 5’s guaranteed jackpot will now be €150,000 instead of €120,000, while a three-number tally will now net gamblers a guaranteed €30. Three-number prizes previously fluctuated according to that week’s prize fund.

Lotto winnings will also be calculated differently. Multipliers have been reduced while the method of calculating a jackpot has also been changed, a lotto receiver explained.

The changes to Super 5 and lotto come just weeks after Maltco was awarded a 10-year contract to operate Maltese lotteries on an exclusive basis.

Maltco was unable to reply to questions sent to it by The Sunday Times by the time of going to print.

Meanwhile a spokesman for the Lotteries and Gaming Authority said the proposals on Super 5 were provided by Maltco “at the outset”.

“Such proposals were more encompassing than just an increase in the ticket price, but also included, among others, an increase in the prizes of the winning categories. Such proposals were approved by the LGA as they do not inpinge on the fairness of the game and on other gaming regulatory considerations,” the spokesman said.

Punters lining up to get their weekly lotto fix yesterday reacted to news of the changes with dismay. “Please tell me you’re joking,” was one elderly man’s reaction to overhearing news of the changes. “If it’s true, from next week I’ll be turning to illegal rackets.”

Another woman complained about the Super 5 changes: “I spend €31.50 every week on a seven-number ticket. Now it’ll cost me €42. It’s a big increase,” she said. “I’ve been playing my Super 5 numbers for almost 20 years. What am I supposed to do, just stop? Of course I’ll keep on playing.”