No price increase for lottery tickets; Weekly draw to remain at Rs 40, Onam Bumper prize at Rs 25 cr

Alappuzha: The state government has decided not to increase the price of lottery tickets now. Prices will remain at Rs 40 for six weekly draw tickets and Rs 50 for the Fifty-Fifty lottery. The proposal to standardise the ticket price at Rs 50 was shelved following opposition from lottery agents.

Lottery agents argued that increasing the ticket price to Rs 50 would negatively impact sales. They pointed out that a previous increase from Rs 30 to Rs 40 had resulted in a decline in sales. The finance minister and the agents highlighted that raising prices again while recovering from the earlier drop could lead to further backlash. The government accepted their objections and withdrew the proposal.

However, the demand to reduce the Fifty-Fifty ticket price to Rs 40 was not approved. To boost sales, the inclusion of smaller prizes is being considered, and the prize structure may be revised accordingly. The government has indicated that any changes will be made based on the findings of a study. Steps will be taken to control the set lottery business, following complaints from agents about the negative impact of selling the same ticket numbers across different series.

Onam bumper prize to remain at Rs 25 crores
The first prize for the Onam Bumper lottery is expected to remain at Rs 25 crore this year, with no changes in ticket price, which will continue to be Rs 500. Following record sales last year, more tickets are likely to be printed this time. Out of the 85 lakh tickets printed last year, 75.76 lakh were sold.