We love Lotto for some very good reasons. The enormous range of cash prizes on offer help, sure, but we also love that brief period of wonder, where we fantasise about what we would do if we won big. Pay off all of our bills, go on a big trip, buy a new house, or tell our bosses what we really think of them—there are so many ways in which this can appeal to us. What we also love is choice and variety when we gamble, so the two new lotteries Lottoland has announced score major hits on all fronts.
These have come about, in no short part, due to the explosion in popularity which we have seen in the last few years in the world of online casinos. Offering the convenience of playing from home, a variety which supersedes anything possible in a traditional casino, and a whole host of bonus structures, it was only a matter of time before the more progressive of these organisations moved into lotteries, and that is precisely what we have seen here.
These new lotteries are separated into two: Lotto Plus and EuroMillionaire. Seem familiar? That is because these two are based off the already existing National Lottery lotteries, which go by Lotto, and EuroMillions. While similar in name, these new versions are distinctly different, and in more ways than one.
Lotto Plus
First of all, let’s look at the way in which Lotto Plus is similar to the standard and traditional Lotto. Shared among these two are:
• six number format, from 1–59
• Draw days of Wednesday and Saturday
• Jackpot odds 45m to 1
• Price of £2
And the key differences and additions which Lotto Plus has compared to Lotto are as follows:
• £15m average and £5m minimum vs Lotto’s £10m average
• Closing time of 9.25pm vs 7.30pm
• Jackpot Hunt, Double Jackpot, and Numbershield Options
• No additional Millionaire Raffle or Charity Contribution
EuroMillionaire
Now let’s move on to how EuroMillionaire is similar to the standard EuroMillions:
• five number format from 1-50, and 2 numbers from 1-12
• Draw days of Tuesday and Friday
• Jackpot odds 139m to 1
• Guaranteed pay-outs
While the key differences and additions which EuroMillionaire has compared to EuroMillions are as follows:
• Price of £2 vs £2.50
• Closing time of 9.25pm vs 7.30pm
• Double Jackpot and Numbershield Options
• Maximum Jackpot of £200m vs £165m
• No additional Millionaire Raffle or Charity Contribution
A sign of the future
While the signs of expanding online casinos have been around for a while (chances are you’ve seen advertisements for a variety of poker games online), an expansion into a lottery system is perhaps the most indicative of the industry’s current standing. Organising lotteries, especially those with large and guaranteed jackpots, is a difficult task, and one which can only be achieved once online user engagement has surpassed a certain threshold.
What this means is that iGaming is here to stay, and now more than ever they challenge the role that traditional lottery and casino systems hold within our society.
