National Lottery or National Mockery? (National Lottery, The)

Member Name: IanPaterson

Product:	National Lottery, The
Date:	01/09/00 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Winning millions

Disadvantages: enormous odds against

When the lottery first started, I thought it was an excellent idea. You can win substantial amounts of money and do good things for needy charities around the country. Most other European countries had one, so why shouldn't we?

Over the next couple of years, the real beast came to the surface. Richard Branson was orginally turned down on his tender because he wanted to run the lottery on zero profit. Every penny would be given away to charity. Camelot won the tender (suprise suprise as they had three Tory back benchers on their board) with an American company holding 50% shares.

The BBC broadcast the lottery program. How they do this is beyond me. They are advertising someones product, the people that watch have bought tickets or will buy tickets. As we pay a license fee, this should not be allowed should it? It is just another sign of people lining their pockets again from what should have been a 'national' asset. Camelot goes back to the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. They represented good for the nation. I don't see the connection somehow.

The prize allocation seems all wrong to me as well. The amount you win for 5 numbers comapred to 6 is ridiculous. The allocation of lottery money is disgusting as well. Millions were given to the ENO to rebuild their theatre (tickets start at £54 and its in central London) 'for the benefit of the nation'. Millions have been poured into the Millenium Dome. Not only did it cost over £750 million to build, it has had over £65 million of OUR lottery money to stay open!

I am so pleased Richard Branson is in the limelight again for running the lottery. Camelot could not handle the idea that they had been snubbed and went to the high courts. I understand the numbers will be increased to 53 not 49, £1 to buy an extra number and prize allocation is much better promising to make more millionares.

Whatever happens, a lottery is
a game of chance and whoever wins has the same chance as anyone else. I think it is a sad suign of the times in this country that so many people play the lottery as it is their only way out of poverty and unhappiness.

I'm not bitter about not winning it at all. I would like to see the many who need profit from the lottery not the few who think they deserve.

Good luck Richard, you have my vote!

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