A lucky lottery player has started 2014 in stunning style, by winning Malta’s biggest ever jackpot.

The Grand Lottery prize of €1.57 million now belongs to someone who bought their ticket in Mosta, operators Maltaco announced.

Maltco and lotto receivers may have also popped champagne at news of the Grand Lottery’s first winner, which should bolster interest in the game and dispel doubts that the top prize was unwinnable.

The Grand Lottery was launched with much fanfare last March. It was initially played every two months with a ticket price of €10. After failing to produce a single jackpot winner, Maltco relaunched the game in September with a €3 ticket and weekly draws, hoping to capture the public’s imagination with the huge prize on offer each Friday.

Still no one won the top prize, prompting concern and another relaunch on Christmas Eve, when Maltco announced that the chances of winning the jackpot would be almost doubled.

The chance of winning the first prize is now 1:400,000 tickets instead of 1:700,000 tickets.

The numbers that created Malta’s newest millionaire last night were 1 7 3 2 0 8 2.

Next Friday’s Grand Lottery jackpot will be €500,000.

When the the top prize is not won, it is increased by €10,000 each week.

Besides the jackpot, there are another seven categories of prizes up for grabs, ranging from €4,500 to €3.

The weekly Grand Lottery Draw is broadcast live on Smash TV at 8.30pm every Friday.

It is also streamed live on www.maltco.com.