Ribble Valley MP's concern at lottery ticket price hike

11:03am Friday 18th January 2013 in News

Nigel Evans MP Nigel Evans MP

An East Lancashire MP has criticised Camelot’s decision to increase the price of a Loterry ticket to £2.

Nigel Evans, who represents the Ribble Valley, said: “Notwithstanding the higher winnings, I do think that this is bad timing on Camelot’s part.

“Most people who play the National Lottery do so out of a sense of hope and what could be.

“Increasing the price by 100 per cent does seem very unfair, especially at a time when people are struggling financially.

“Many people also play the same numbers week in week out and I worry that they would feel compelled to continue at double the cost.

“I understand that prices have not changed since 1994, but I see no compelling reason to change them now and I hope that they remain the same in the autumn.”

Comments(14)

buckoff says...
11:18am Fri 18 Jan 13

well I was asked 4 months ago what my views were on £2 lotto tickets through a survey. I said there would be an uproar and a boycott. Looks like I was right! Anyway its done me a favour I set up a standing-order £50 pounds a month premium bonds. Camelot have done me a massive favour made me realize how much I spent with virtually no return. Maybe it will do the least well off a massive favour stopping them playing.

Report this post »

jimpy0 says...
12:13pm Fri 18 Jan 13

Also just closed my account ........

Report this post »

ste.g says...
12:20pm Fri 18 Jan 13

jimpy0 wrote:
Also just closed my account ........
i emailed Camelot to inform them i would be closing my account if they increased it to two pounds.
they replied with an email on how to close it.

bye bye lotto, hello the Irish lottery

Report this post »

frank says...
1:35pm Fri 18 Jan 13

won't affect me ,i'll stop buying. just writing numbers on a paper and saving tour quid or two gives you almost as much chance as winning anyway!

Report this post »

Lankygirl says...
1:55pm Fri 18 Jan 13

Why are people who are "struggling financially" waste money on lottery tickets? Nigel Evans should not be condoning gambling, which is a fool's game and should only be undertaken if you can afford to lose the money you spend on it. Also, anyone playing the same numbers each week out of a sense of compulsion, when they cannot afford to do so, is in serious need of counselling to rid them of what can only be called an addiction. Where does all this come in an MP's job description?

Report this post »

jimpy0 says...
2:03pm Fri 18 Jan 13

£1.00 one line sat draw only

Report this post »

Kevin, Colne says...
2:57pm Fri 18 Jan 13

I’m not a great fan of the National Lottery but I admire Camelot the operator enormously – they’ve been very shrewd in the way in which they have marketed and developed the Lottery.

I guess the aim of the price rise is to raise more money and Camelot will have done their sums: they may lose players but still increase revenue overall.

Remember when you buy a Lottery ticket you’re contributing to good causes, one of which is the pensions of retired teachers in Ontario – Camelot is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund.

It’s ironic: I suspect that many players of the National Lottery will have poor pension provision yet seem content to make a contribution to pensions of retired teachers in another country.

The supreme irony would be a teacher in this country now contemplating strike action in respect of their own pension while playing the National Lottery and effectively making a voluntary contribution to the pension of teachers in another country. It puts a whole new meaning on the phrase AVCs!

Premium Bonds are a loan to the Government in which returns – effectively interest but called ‘winnings’ - are distributed randomly. A win on the Premium Bonds should really be called: 'A Randomly Generated Interest Payment'.

Report this post »

Elegant1 says...
3:19pm Fri 18 Jan 13

I did not see M Evans bothering to say that it was wrong when the goverment docked the Winter Fuel pament by a pound a week! Perhaps he was busy at the time filling out the paperwork for his expenses? Talk about band-waggons!
Mr Evans is probably one of the MPs that are under the illusion that they are worth £250.000 a year salary instead of the £75k they get at present.
As it happens I do not buy lottery tickets as it is around 14.000.000 to 1 that I will not win. That would be about the Odds on a Tory victory at the 2015 election!

Report this post »

time will tell says...
5:51pm Fri 18 Jan 13

@Eleganti 1

Ladbrokes will give you 14 million to 1 for Elvis Pressley to crash a UFO into the Loch Ness monster.

--------------------
-----------

Doesn`t Tory boy`s family own a newsagents?

.

Report this post »

drunken donut says...
6:16pm Fri 18 Jan 13

A tax on the stupid!!!!

Report this post »

Elegant1 says...
5:19pm Sat 19 Jan 13

time will tell wrote:
@Eleganti 1

Ladbrokes will give you 14 million to 1 for Elvis Pressley to crash a UFO into the Loch Ness monster.

--------------------

-----------

Doesn`t Tory boy`s family own a newsagents?

.
If you ever see me in Ladbrokes I give yoou permission to shoot me!

Yes, He hails from Wales where his family are/were Newsagents he worked in the business and tried hard to get elected until he was given a safe Tory seat in the Ribble Valley.

He knows a lot about the "Poor" as he has objected to the Minimum Wage from the outset and has objected to every increases that has been granted. I would be surprised if he has ever had segs on his hands in his working life. Quite a colourful character according to Wickipedia. Had he been to Eton or Oxford he would have been in the Cabinet before now.

Report this post »

pwitch says...
6:10pm Sat 19 Jan 13

You could always to do the health lottery and that puts funds into charity as well.

Report this post »

Noiticer says...
6:55pm Sat 19 Jan 13

I believe the health lottery puts even more money into the hands of the organisers than the National Lottery so that's certainly one tobe avoided.

Report this post »

2 for 5p says...
1:20am Sun 20 Jan 13

£ 2 is not a bad price for a lottery ticket if it going up £1 in19 years is to much for you, then I suggest you question weather or not you should be buying one in first place.

However I do agree that to much goes to charity.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree