Kerala sees surge in Thiruvonam bumper ticket sales ahead of GST hike; first prize Rs 25 crore

Kanhangad: Amid concerns over the GST hike, the Kerala lottery sector has found relief in a major surge in the sale of Thiruvonam Bumper tickets. With two weeks remaining before the draw, 47 lakh tickets have already been sold. Last year, a total of 71,43,008 tickets were sold, with only 36 lakh sold two weeks prior to the draw.

Half of last year’s total sales occurred in the final two weeks. Lottery vendors now say that this year’s tickets may sell at the same rate or even exceed it. If that happens, the 90 lakh tickets anticipated by the department will be sold out—marking a historic achievement in bumper ticket sales. The first prize for the Thiruvonam Bumper is ₹25 crore, and each ticket is priced at ₹500. The total prize money amounts to ₹140 crore.

Last year, 80 lakh tickets were printed, of which around eight and a half lakh remained unsold. In 2023, 85 lakh Thiruvonam Bumper tickets were printed, and 75,76,096 were sold. In 2022, 67.50 lakh tickets were printed, with 66.55 lakh sold. This is the fourth Thiruvonam Bumper since the first prize was increased to ₹25 crore.

Currently, there is greater demand for tickets from other districts than from one’s own. Recognising this trend, agents are exchanging tickets among themselves and displaying the respective district's name to boost sales.

The Monsoon Bumper ticket, whose draw was held in July, also saw strong sales. Out of 34 lakh tickets printed, 33,48,990 were sold.

Within a few days, the GST on lottery tickets will increase from 28 percent to 40 percent. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has clarified that the ticket price will not be increased. However, he hinted that there may be a change in the prize structure. Agents have expressed concern about whether this will affect future sales.