Simon Busuttil’s latest birthday proved lucky for some but costly at the same time: two of the Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday represented his age and date of birth but the payouts had to be reduced due to the exceptional number of winners.

The PN leader turned 45 on March 20, prompting superstitious party supporters to try their luck in the hope their leader would bring them prosperity.

However, their joy was somewhat dampened when gaming operator Maltco decided to reduce the prize money by 13 per cent due to the high number of winners. A Maltco spokeswoman told this newspaper it followed the rules approved by the Lottery and Gaming Authority, which were available in the players’ booklet in all lotto booths.

These rules state that if winnings exceed 130 per cent of sales, based on risk management criteria, the operator has the right to apply a capping mechanism.

As a result, the prize for a prima was reduced to 52.40 times the stake, and that for an ambo was cut down to 187.60 times the stake.

The reduction also fuelled discontent among a number of receivers who spoke to this newspaper. They worried this would play into the hands of people operating illegal lotteries as players may turn to them to get higher earnings for the same price.