The change will come into effect on June 7
The National Lottery is changing the way its Lotto draws work(Image: Getty Images for The National Lo)
The National Lottery has announced that a big change is coming to the twice-weekly Lotto draws, coming into effect in June.
Each week there is a Lotto draw on Wednesday and Saturday which costs players £2 per line and enters them into a draw to win cash. From June 7, the National Lottery will be changing the way these Lotto draws work.
“Each Wednesday and Saturday Lotto draw will feature 2 rounds,” the National Lottery writes in an update on its website. “That means two chances of winning a prize with every line of numbers you play, for the same price.
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“And best of all, more than double the number of millionaires are expected to be made.”
Explaining how the new Lotto system will work, the National Lottery says that in round one, a set of 59 balls are entered into the first draw machine. Six balls are drawn plus the Bonus Ball, and if you match two or more numbers from your Lotto line you will win some cash.
Then in the second round, the same thing will happen again. The National Lottery explains: “A second set of 59 balls are entered into the second draw machine. Six balls are drawn plus the Bonus Ball… another drum roll please… If you match 2 or more numbers from your same Lotto line… you win! Yipee!”
With every Lotto draw, matching all six of the main numbers will win you a share of the jackpot, while matching five numbers plus a bonus ball will win you £1m. Matching five numbers can get you £1,000 and matching four numbers will secure you £50.
When the Lotto game changes to having two rounds, ‘must be won’ draws will still take place.
The National Lottery explains: “Lotto can still rollover 5 times with the 5th rollover (the 6th consecutive draw) being a Must Be Won draw.
“If there’s no jackpot winner over the 2 rounds, any money not won in the Must Be Won draw will be used to pay each Match 2 winner £5 (unless exceptional circumstances apply) and any money leftover will then be shared between Match 3 winners.”
Finally, the National Lottery has also announced that there will be ‘special Lotto draws’ with ‘guaranteed £1m prizes’ with the Lotto changed coming into effect from June 7.
Tickets for the new and improved Lotto draws will be available from June 7, with the first draw falling on June 10.
Last month the National Lottery revealed it will be making major changes to its draws, including offering a new mega jackpot totalling £1 billion.
Operator Allwyn announced it will unveil the first new game in the National Lottery’s history later this summer, with the launch of the UK specific version of the world’s biggest jackpot game, Powerball.
By paying £4 per line, players will be able to to compete with US players to win a shared jackpot, totalling over £1 billion, that will be paid out over the next 30 years.
A Lotto draw takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, a EuroMillions on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus a Set For Life draw every Monday and Thursday.
