程阳：National Lottery (United Kingdom) (2)

Games

Several games operate under the National Lottery brand:

1, Lotto

Six numbers are drawn from a set of individually numbered balls with numbers in the range 1–49, as well as a further bonus ball. Balls, once drawn, are not returned to the draw machine, therefore each ball (including the bonus ball) can only be drawn once per Lotto draw. Players choose six different numbers by a method of their own choosing at the time they purchase a ticket. Ticket issuing machines can generate a random set of play numbers as a so–called Lucky Dip. Prizes are awarded to players who match at least three of the six drawn numbers with increasing prize value for matching more of the drawn numbers. In addition to the six drawn numbers, an additional number is drawn as the Bonus Ball. The bonus ball is only relevant to those players who match five of the six drawn numbers, whereby those players matching exactly five of the drawn numbers who also match the bonus ball receive a larger prize than those matching just 5 of the drawn numbers. Anyone matching all six drawn numbers wins a share of the jackpot; the chance of doing so is 1 in 13,983,816. For players matching at least four of the drawn balls the prize value is dependent on the total number of players also matching the same number of balls in that the prize fund is divided equally between all players matching that number of drawn numbers. In the event that no player matches all six of the drawn numbers the jackpot is accumulated into the next Lotto draw, a so–called Rollover. This accumulation is limited to three consecutive draws. Rollover is a common occurrence, happening once every few draws, though a "treble roll-over" is a rather less common occurrence having happened only twice to date.

The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board.

The draw is conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Saturday draws started on November 19, 1994, under the name 'National Lottery'. The first Wednesday draw was on February 5, 1997. All draws are shown live on BBC One in the UK, with the Saturday draw shown as a segment in a range of different Lottery branded gameshows throughout the year.

The game was rebranded 'Lotto' in 2002.

The Lotto prize fund is 45 percent of draw sales in a normal week. However, the long-term average percentage is almost exactly 46 percent due to an occasional Super Draw paid for from a Super Draw reserve fund, set aside each draw. The three-ball prize winners are calculated first, these receive £10 each; the remaining prize fund is then divided as shown in the table below and split equally with the number of winners for each selection:

The overall odds of winning any prize is 52.65514 to 1. The 6/49 mentioned above also had an optional add-on game known as Extra which could be played for an additional £1. However, its only prize was for matching all six regular numbers drawn for the 6/49 jackpot (there were no lower-tier prizes; a perfect match was required.) It was discontinued in 2006.

Lotto Hotpicks

Lotto Hotpicks uses the main Lotto draw for its numbers but is a different game. The player chooses both the numbers and the number of draw balls they want to try and match (up to a maximum of five balls). However, if the player does not match all the numbers chosen, it is not a winner. The National Lottery describe Hotpicks as "Five games in one", because the player has a choice of five ways of playing the game, each offering different odds and payouts.

The entry fee to the Lotto Hotpicks draw is £1 per board

The odds and payouts are as follows:

2, Thunderball

The first Thunderball draw was on June 12, 1999. Players pick five main numbers from 1 to 34 and one 'Thunderball' number from 1 to 14, for an entry fee of £1. initially only held on Saturdays, draws currently take place every Saturday and Wednesday. The first mid-week Thunderball was on October 23, 2002. The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board

3, Dream Number

Dream Number was launched on July 15, 2006. Dream Number involves generating a random seven digit number for entry into the draw. It can be played independently of Lotto, or if played with Lotto one Dream Number is generated per ticket, not per lotto entry. The cost of entry is £1. A dream number is automatically printed on every lotto ticket bought, whether the player has chosen to enter it into the draw or not. Unlike other Lotto games, it is not possible to choose the number entered, and the order that the numbers are drawn is important, since the numbers must be matched in order for the player to win. All money raised for good causes from Dream Number will go towards the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.

The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 10.

Source: National Lottery Players Guide

4, Scratchcards

As well as draw tickets, the National Lottery sells (through newsagents, supermarkets, and so on) scratchcards.

These are small pieces of card where an area has been covered by a thin layer of opaque (and usually designed according to the particular card) latex that can be scratched off. Under this area are concealed the items/pictures that must be found in order to win.

The generic scratchcard requires the player to match three of the same prize amounts. If this is accomplished, they win that amount, the highest possible being £100,000. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words.

The majority of National Lottery scratchcards are sold for £2. These are large scratchcards with two or more chances to win or with better odds than usual to win the maximum cash prize. Originally, all scratchcards were £1, however over recent years, the £2 scratchcards have become available in a wider range and the £1 scratchcards, which have a lower chance of winning, are now available on a lower scale. There are also scratchcards available for £5.

5, Daily Play

The Daily Play draw can be played every day but Sunday and Christmas Day. By selecting 7 numbers between 1 and 27, players can win anything from a free lucky-dip to £30,000. The draw gives its players the chance to win a free daily play lucky-dip for not matching any numbers in the draw.

The entry fee to the Daily Play draw is £1 per board

The draw currently has no live broadcast. The results on Saturdays are recorded and announced during the live broadcast of the Lotto, Dream Number and Thunderball draws on BBC One. The Daily Play draw can, however, be watched every day online via the BBC's website.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 7.4

Source: National Lottery Daily Play Game Rules & Procedures

6,EuroMillions

For more details on this topic, see EuroMillions.

On Saturday 7 February 2004 the lottery organisation Camelot launched a pan-European lottery: EuroMillions. The first draw took place on Friday 13 February 2004 in Paris. The UK, France and Spain were involved initially. Lotteries from Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland joined the draw on 8 October 2004 and the draws are currently made in Paris, and shown in the UK on BBC One. The entry fee to the EuroMillions draw is £1.50 per board. The odds of winning the Jackpot is 1 in 76,275,360.

7,Instant Win Games

Instant Win Games are online games where the player can win up to £100,000 instantly. Some Instant Win Games are similar in format to scratchcards, with others involving more interactive play. Instant Win Games can be tried for free and played here: [2]