Long odds... (tombola.com)

Member Name: MichaelR

Product:	tombola.com
Date:	18/02/01 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Slim chance of winning.

Disadvantages: Quick and easy to play. Free to play.

You know, I think it's Ladbrokes that will give you 5,000,000-1 on Elvis being alive and well, piloting a flying saucer over Loch Ness and then landing on the head of the Loch Ness monster.

I think there's probably more chance of collecting on that bet than there is of winning with Tombola.

I've been playing for... oooh, I don't know, 6 months or so now? I've not really been counting, but it has been a long time, and I do play every day.

Suffice to say that my total winnings to date come to precisely zero pounds and zero pence. I'm sure that some people do win, but I've not heard from any winners yet.

It must be the case that winners are few and far between though, as Tombola even publishes pictures and details of the £20 winners on it's site, and this is the lowest prize that one can win.

So, perhaps the chances of winning are extremely low, but really, it's free, and it takes about ten minutes to play all the games, so what have you got to lose? That's my philosophy anyway. I might as well keep playing, because it is so quick and it doesn't cost me anything. Tombola don't bombard you with junk mail either...

Currently, there are four games that you can play with Tombola. These are as follows:

1 - I:Scratch.

This is an Internet scratch card that changes theme every so often. There was a special one for the few days leading up to Valentines Day, but it has now reverted to the Treasure Island scratch card.

You scratch off all the panels with an imaginary coin (by holding down a mouse button and wiggling the mouse over the panel) and in the unlikely event that you reveal three matching symbols, you win a prize ranging from £20 up to a share in the daily jackpot. I forget the exact amount, but I think that it's £5000.

2 - Fetch.

In conjunction with Lycos.

There is a new fetch game now. In this one, you control
Lycos the dog and make him run around a garden digging up various "hiding places" where he has hidden logos corresponding to various channels on Lycos.co.uk.

He stops and goes "Woof! Woof! after showing you what he found, and then you get him to dig up another spot.

If after Lycos has digged up all the spots, you should find four matching symbols, then you win a prize.

3 - Passport.

In conjunction with EDreams.

With this, you get given a new passport each Saturday with six destinations marked on it. Each passport is unique, and you keep the same passport to use in the game every day until the next Saturday comes and you get a new one.

Every day, a departure board is shown on the site. Every player sees the same departure board. If you should be able to match all six destinations on your passport with the destinations shown on any of the daily departure boards, then you win a share in the weekly jackpot of £500.

4 - Syndicates.

This basically just gives you a free shot at the National Lottery jackpot every day. You go into a syndicate with 48 other players, and if any of your numbers take a 5 or 6 ball prize in the lottery, then you share it with all the other players.

They claim to have had a big win recently actually...

If your numbers take a lower prize than that, then one of the players in the syndicate is drawn at random to receive the entire prize.

As I say, I've never won anything with Tombola, and I don't know anyone who has. It's absolutely no hassle to play though, and it doesn't cost anything, so why not play?

You've got to be in it to win it after all...

Summary: