Uk lottery ticket price doubles to £2

So camelot who run the national lottery have announced that they are doubling the ticket price from £1 to £2. This has been dubbed as a "Tax on the poor" by many people. Also prize pot for 5 matching numbers will drop by £500 to £1000. Also 5 numbers and the bonus ball win will halve to £50,000. The price will rise in autumn. Angry players have taken to twitter and facebook to rant there anger. Charities have been reasured it will boost the money they receive. This to me is just another act of greed by a big player in rough economic times. What do you all feel about this who normally play www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263367/lottery-ticket-price-doubles-to-tax-poor.html

reply to post by TheDoctor46


Our here in the States did the same to $2 a while back. I keep telling people give me the $2 and I will tell them they didn't win...

Umm.. So let me get this straight. The LOTTERY...which is supposed to fund prizes by the money taken in...is now doubling the price and halving the prize? Umm... What possibly can be used to explain THAT one?

It sounds like you guys got as badly screwed on this deal as we did in the U.S! I recall the first state lotteries by the one in California when I was growing up. Yeah, for the children they said...it would make 1st class education systems they promised...and lied and lied.

They forgot to mention the little detail that lottery funding into the schools would mean a REDUCTION in funding by the same amount from the state's general fund ..so net gain was a wash at best and bust at worst. How's is yours working out?

*Good point on that poor tax by another name BTW.. You don't see Lexus sedans and late model Mercedes lining up to stand for a power ball ticket here and you sure don't hear many wealthy people win. Gotta play first, right? lol

Apparently the top prizes will be going up on the main sat and wed draws. And the prize currently for 3 numbers will be going UP from £10 to £25. Not that many will be winning the top prize. They are hiding behind charities on this one i feel to make millions more

reply to post by TheDoctor46

Who cares anyways?? Anyone with half a brain will know that there is a 99.9% chance of losing money on lotteries.
And how is this a tax on the poor?? No one is forcing anyone to play the lotteries. I have never ever bought a single ticket.
If you are poor you should not be wasting your money on such scams in first place.

reply to post by juleol


I don't play either, Mainly because i believe its a fix. Poor tax is what the increase has been dubbed because a lot of people with not much money and lots of dreams play it. And it does affect them (by a 100% increase if im right) half a brain or not. And who cares anyways? Probably the estimated 2 million people who play each week

Well I certainly will not be buying any tickets when the price goes up. Its pretty damn rare I get 3 numbers never mind anywhere near a big prize. To be honest I'd be a bit peed off if I managed to get 5 numbers (which is a 1 in 55,491 chance by the way) to receive a measly £1000. Also raising the 3 numbers to £25, what exactly does £25 get you these days, a trip to the cinema for you and the other half and thats it spent.

To raise it to £2 a ticket is an insult. Just take a look at the odes of winning if you do not believe me.

6 numbers = 1 in 14 million
5 numbers plus bonus = 1 in 2,330,636
5 numbers = 1 in 55,491
4 numbers = 1 in 1032
3 numbers = 1 in 56.7


I guess my mum was right, the Lottery is nothing more than an Idiot tax.

Camelot should not even be running the lottery.

Richard Branson placed a rival bid, with a better business plan, and more going to charities.

Camelot won, against all odds.

He got his balls busted over that, and he was very quiet about it, which was really out of character for him.

"Tax on the poor"....I think ye jest perhaps? Tax is obligatory, the lottery is not.

And £2 for a ticket brings it in line with Europe. We pay 2 euros and have done for ages.

If it's a problem at £2, don't play.

reply to post by nerbot


You raise a very good point sir and I think Camelot will be taken rather by suprise when you find many of the current players take your advice precisely. Its not like there isn't now the health lottery and the postcode lottery to play for a quid.

reply to post by michael1983l


£1 or £10, still a mugs game.

BUT...if you're not in it, you can't win it.

I only play my particular numbers in the hope I can one day tell my sister she won't ever have to go to work again, other than to be my personal very highly paid accountant.

reply to post by nerbot


That sounds like a good plan! I used to do the lottery when it first came out,. But i was lucky if i ever got any numbers. I smell a rat when that machine drops the balls out

There was a snap poll taken in the Guardian today and 80% have said they are boycotting the lottery. It has also been reported that the Lottery facebook and Twitter pages have been inundated with complaints.

I feel sorry for people who put on say 6 lines twice a week , same numbers each time, and are afraid to stop in case their numbers come up......crazy.