NEW LOTTO GAME RISKS NOT BREAKING EVEN
NEW LOTTO GAME RISKS NOT BREAKING EVEN
(ANSA) - Rome, October 30 - Italy's new Win for Life lotto game has become a big hit in its first month but there have been so many winners that it risks not breaking even, sector sources said on Friday.
The game, run by the Sisal betting group which also offers the popular SuperEnalotto game, has a top prize which gives winners a 'life salary' of 4,000 euros a month for 20 years but it also pays cash for a number of other minor winnings.
In its first month the game raked in 209.3 million euros but it has also paid out 203.3 million euros in winnings, fees and donations to help rebuild the earthquake-struck region of Abruzzo.
Win for Life, in fact, gives a major chunk of its revenue to the region while the rest goes to cover winnings and to pay fees to betting agencies which offer the game.
In order to win the 'life salary' prize, players must correctly pick the ten numbers drawn from one to 20 and hope that an extra 'super' number they are given when placing their bet is the same as the one drawn.
Players have the choice of betting one or two euros.
Aside from the big prize, a one-euro bet pays 10,000 euros for ten correct numbers, 100 euros for nine, ten euros for eight and two euros for seven correct picks.
A two-euro bet, on the other hand, also pays 10,000 euros for not guessing any of the numbers, 100 euros for picking just one, ten euros for just two and two euros for only three correct numbers.
The big prize is also awarded if a player with a two-euro bet fails to guess any of the ten but has the extra super number.
In its first month, Win for Life has seen 54 winners of the 'life salary' prize, for a total of some 51,8 million euros, and paid out over 78 million euros in minor prizes.
The Abruzzo region has received 48.7 million euros so far and betting agencies have collected 16.7 million euros in fees.
As opposed to traditional lotto games, Win for Life draws are held hourly.
Although the big prize, which totals 960,000 euros, is not adjusted for inflation during the 20-year period, it can be inherited for the remainder of the 20-year period should the winner die.
