Winning ratios of scratch card lottery tickets (FOI)

​Request

This relates to Economic Development - Channel Islands Lottery scratch cards

These tickets have a win ratio quoted on them, for instance the £25,000 Big Win £5 ticket currently on sale in outlets states "1 in 3.68 tickets wins! Pay-out is 69.97%".

A

I should like to know, in relation to this £5 Big Win ticket and all other similar tickets issued, what is the ratio of winning tickets that pay out more than the purchase cost of the ticket ie winning £5 when you paid £5 for the ticket means that you have just got your money back, you haven't actually gained anything extra.

B

Additionally please could you confirm the ratio of tickets that contain a prize in excess of £100. I heard a figure of 1 in 6,000 banded around but cannot corroborate this.

C

Finally, in relation to the top prize stated on each of these ticket types, how many top prizes are there please? Is there on one Big Win £25,000 for instance, or many?

If it is just one top prize per ticket type, how do you notify the public that the prize has been already claimed, meaning there is no point in continuing to purchase that type of ticket?

Response

A

It is important to recognise the context of the Channel Islands Lottery as a pan island game covering both Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Each game / lottery is slightly different and each prize structure is carefully considered. The odds of winning and % prize pay-out is quoted on the back of each ticket.

In the game to which you refer there are 500,000 tickets of £5 each. There are a total of 135,808 winning tickets (1 in 3.68 ticket wins). You asked for the ratio of winning tickets paying out more than £5. There are a total of 85,808 winning tickets in excess of £5 being a ratio of 1 in 5.83 (ie 85,808 to 500,000).

B

In the same game there are 828 winning tickets with a prize of £100 or more. Being a ratio of 1 in 603.86 (ie 828 in 500,000). Of the 828, 328 are in excess of £100 prize winners being a ratio of 1 in 1,524.39 (ie 328 in 500,000).

C

In this particular game there are 3 top prizes, it is possible that other games may have more.