Lottery jackpot to double after public interest flags

Sagging sales of the computerized lottery have spurred TaipeiBank (台北銀行) to offer a potential double jackpot in September to boost its sales volume, the bank announced yesterday.

Having previously given his approval to TaipeiBank's new lottery rule, Minister of Finance Lee Yung-san (李庸三) yesterday told reporters that he believes the new twist will probably rekindle interest in lottery, but the nation's former lottery fever may not sustain.

"It's just a short-term stimuli," Lee said.

The lottery's sales, however, have greatly dropped since the Chinese New Year. Compared to February's record-high sales volume of some NT$1.9 billion, the lottery's sales in mid-June dropped by nearly 70 percent to hit the bottom NT$500 million, according to a finance official.

The so-called super jackpot (超級頭彩) can be won during any one of five draws between September 3 to 17 when the draw's seventh extra number is bigger than the other six lucky numbers, said the bank's vice president Richard Yang (楊瑞東).

For example, 04, 36, 23, 19, 05, 33 are picked to be the first six winning numbers at one particular draw. If the extra seventh number is drawn to be bigger than 36, there'll be the super jackpot winner(s) at that draw.

The super jackpot winner(s) will then be awarded with an extra 16 percent of the total sales volume, Yang said, adding that the probability is only one seventh.

That is, if the lottery's total sales should reach over NT$625 million at one draw within that timeframe, an extra NT$100 million can be further injected into pockets of the jackpot winner(s) in addition to the first prize of some NT$100 million. And the more lottery sales, the larger the super jackpot.

Yang, however, yesterday said that the super jackpot lottery is a one-time only deal. If no super jackpot winner(s) are drawn within the timeframe, the prize can be held for another later drawing until the super jackpot is claimed.

To prevent possible over-heating of the lotto, the ministry yesterday stipulated that the lottery's promotional rule won't apply to any draw, whose jackpot has already been accumulated since there were no jackpot winners at previous draws.

Expressing his welcome to the bank's promotional draw, Tsai Wei-chin (蔡維欽) -- a 41-year-old lotto booth owner, yesterday said that he expected the new twist will bring in business.

"Any promotion is good so that people will be reminded to pop in and put down their bet," Tsai said.

Tsai added that his business has slowed down by 30 percent sine July although customers remain to line up for tickets on drawing days -- Tuesdays and Fridays.

But buyers yesterday didn't seem to be very enthusiastic about the new promotional draw.

Unfamiliar with the new super jackpot rule, a female lotto buyer yesterday coldly said that "it still depends on my mood. If I want to buy, I'll buy."

A 31-year-old white-collar worker, surnamed Tao, said he hopes that the extra money can be shared by more smallest-prize winners in additional to their NT$200 prize. "After all, few actually win," he said.

TaipeiBank, in addition, yesterday announced that the lottery's draw on September 6 will be held in Kaohsiung to stimulate lottery sales there.