A LOTTERY FRENZY has been sparked in Moray as it has throughout the country as the UK largest ever jackpot is on offer this evening – an estimated £50.4million.
Local lottery ticket outlets are reporting bumper sales as towns and villages throughout Moray are attracted to the massive payout – one that National Lottery operator Camelot say will be paid to either a single winner or else shared.
Camelot has reported that they have been selling around 200 tickets a second this week – and while sales in Moray might not being going quite that fast they are shifting at a rapid rate.
One Elgin retailer said that he had not seen anything quite like it since the early days of the National Lottery: “I remember the frenzy and enthusiasm for tickets back then – but over the years it has largely been a great deal more subdued.
“However, this week has been exceptional – people are clamouring for lottery tickets knowing that even if the Jackpot is not won, the cash will be paid out to those getting close.
“We’ve seen similar ‘spikes’ in sales during when a Euromillion jackpot has grown – but never quite like this because people feel that their chances are far greater for a share of the UK lottery than in a Europe-wide one.”
The largest single UK Lottery win was the £22.5million shared by work colleagues in Hastings in 1995.
Tonight’s massive payout has been achieved after 13 consecutive roll-over draws failed to find a winning ticket – but those purchasing tickets today should note that their chances of winning are up to 45million to 1.