Increase in lotto price under fire
Camelot's plans to double the price of National Lottery tickets have been branded "cynical" by a top councillor.
Deputy mayor of Leicester Rory Palmer said the increase in the price of a standard ticket to £2 in the autumn "penalises ordinary people who enjoy a weekly flutter on the lotto".
He said it also "represents a step towards pushing people into debt and needs a serious rethink".
"It plays on the hopes and vulnerability of people, many on low incomes who see this as their big opportunity," Councillor Palmer said.
SUNDAY OPEN BUFFET EAT AS MUCH AS U CAN £6.99PP & A LA CARTE...
Leicester's ONLY Lebanese Cuisine - Cedars Bar & Restaurant 46/48 Church Gate Leicester LE1 4AJ
View detailsCome & Try our Delicious Menu with an Amazing 15% off all Food Bills on a la carte menu only
Terms: Lebanese & Mediterenian Menu With An Amazing 15% Off Your Food Bills on a la carte menu only
Contact: 0116 2169184
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
"I accept that adults can choose whether or not they want to buy a ticket but lots of people are creatures of habit who play the same numbers each week.
"I have no problem with gambling in moderation and I play the lottery from time to time but I think Camelot has made a serious misjudgment on this."
Coun Palmer accepted the lottery raised large sums of cash for good causes but said he would prefer the draw to be run by a not-for-profit company.
Thomas Wilson, 72, of Leicester, said: "I will definitely stop. It's just too much and I don't have any luck.
Full-time mum Jenny Freeman, 34, of Loughborough, said: "I don't play the lottery and never have. I don't believe in gambling.
"I'm glad the cost has been raised. Hopefully, it will deter people from gambling their money away."
Camelot UK managing director Andy Duncan said: "Our players still love Lotto but after 18 years say they want more from it.
"We've spoken extensively with them to develop a re-energised game."
The Saturday jackpot will increase from about £4.1 million on average to £5 million and the Wednesday jackpot will increase.
A Camelot spokesman said: "Buying a National Lottery ticket is optional.
"Lotto remains the biggest game in our portfolio and is essential to the long-term health of the National Lottery and the money it generates for good causes.
"Our players raise more than £30 million each and every week for these good causes – money that is changing lives for the better for people and communities the length and breadth of the UK."
Comments
by jamesNorth
Monday, January 21 2013, 1:10PM
“A lot of poor people who have seen Camelot as one tiny spark of hope in their lives will now have this tiny light extinguished. The problem is there is a degree of blackmail here because they know that there are people who will be afraid to stop playing just in case their numbers come up, most people believe that every time their numbers do not come up that they are one draw nearer to the day when they do. This makes Camelot cruel, bad, perhaps even evil because they know this. There are more people playing the lottery now than ever there was in 1994 because a lot more people can afford to pay the £1 per line and as a result they are buying more lines, and this is why it does not take a genius to know that Camelot are making a lot more money than in 1994. There is no justification for this massive price hike, many MANY people will have to drop out, while others will have to reduce their lines and so reduce their chances of winning. I now have to accept that I will NEVER win the lottery because I simply can no longer afford to play. SHEER GREED !!!!!”