As a result of the Irish Lotto changes, the price of each line played will increase from €1.50 to €2, with the minimum purchase being two lines for €4. Playing the two additional games, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, will now cost €5, although there is an extra chance to win €300 by matching a special four-digit Lotto Plus Raffle number.
Irish Lotto officials say that the new structure of the game should lead to bigger rolling jackpots, with €6.3 million set to be the new approximate average as opposed to the current €4.5 million. Players will also be tempted by the chance to win an average €100,000 for matching five main numbers and the Bonus Ball, a huge rise from €25,000 as it stands.
Players’ odds of winning the top prize will lengthen from one in 8,145,060 to one in 10,737,573, although the chances of winning any prize at all are much better - one in 28.7 after the changes take place, compared with one in 42 at the moment.
The new-style game has been branded Bigger Better Lotto, with Premier Lotteries Ireland CEO Dermot Griffin explaining in the Irish Mirror that the rule changes would “innovate, enhance and improve” the game. He added “Bigger Better Lotto will deliver a more exciting game and bigger jackpots for our players, which will generate more funds for good causes."
The game returns on Wednesday night with a jackpot worth €2 million, after one player scooped €2.5 million in Saturday’s draw. Irish Lotto tickets are on sale now online and from authorised retailers across the Republic.
