Evidently lured by the Lm500,000 Super 5 jackpot, people queued up at lotto offices yesterday to try their luck.

And last-minute players are expected to make their way to lotto booths today in a desperate bid to guess the winning numbers.

Maltco last week bagged more than Lm500,000 in ticket sales and it was expecting to sell more or less the same number of tickets this week.

But the super jackpot - one of the highest ever - does not impress everybody. John Borg, from Safi, admits he is not interested in buying a ticket, even when there is a lot of money at stake.

The same feeling is shared by two friends, one from Attard and another from San Pawl tat-Targa, who did not want to be named. "I never buy a ticket, irrespective of how high the jackpot is," one says, as his friend smiles, saying his wife tends to fall victim to temptation when the prize money is substantial.

"But I believe that it's all money down the drain."

Although Maria Farrugia, from Kirkop, comes from a family of lotto receivers, she never gambles. Yet, she admits, this time around she is very tempted to buy a ticket. "Shall we get one between us," she asks her friend.

Maria Azzopardi, also from Kirkop, says she usually buys a ticket, but points out that the jackpot amount does not really tempt her to spend more money.

"If I am to win, I will win with one ticket. You have to be extremely lucky to win," she said.

Mary Caruana, from Zejtun, always buys a single ticket, irrespective of the jackpot. She describes herself as not someone to be tempted into spending more money when the prize money is high.

She harbours strong opinions about the promotion of gambling, simply believing that it should not be allowed. "Adverts for cigarettes are no longer acceptable and gambling is another bad habit. It should not be advertised."

Her friend, Josephine Galea, from St Paul's Bay, agrees. She is not someone who spends a lot of money on Super 5 tickets, although she does tend to buy two tickets instead of her usual one when the jackpot is as high as it is this week.

But while there are those whose gambling habits are not affected by the size of the jackpot, others tend to spend good money on tickets. Aida Scerri, from Mellieha, admits that while she does not normally buy Super 5 tickets, when the jackpot is high she spends about Lm5. "At the end of the day, if I had to win it would change my life."