In 2016, the top prize was even higher at £1,120,220. In 2015 it was £1,161,750 and in 2014 it had been the highest ever at £1.22m indicating a very slow downward trend.
Pictured: The 2017 ticket promised a jackpot of at least £300,000, eventually rising to £1,008,410.
The jackpot in 2013 had been £1,038,000, won by someone in Jersey, while the last time the pan island jackpot was below a million pounds was in 2012, when the £686,000 first prize was claimed by an anonymous winner in Jersey. That was the lowest the prize pot had been in some years, with the 2011 top prize being £751, 500 which was a record at the time.
The number of tickets sold had dropped in 2012, the same year the Channel Islands Summer Lottery was launched to much fanfare but incredibly disappointing sales. Costing £2 each, the States of Guernsey and Jersey said at the time that the prize could reach £1million but it fell way short with a jackpot of just £150,000.
While the profits from tickets sales for the Christmas Lottery are shared between good causes in both islands, the CI Summer Lottery saw profits go to charities in Jersey, but into States coffers in Guernsey as the money raised by scratch card sales does. The news the States would directly benefit from Summer Lottery sales angered some people in Guernsey and at the time it was thought that may have impacted on Christmas Lottery sales later that same year.
Following that, the States in both islands, in conjunction with the Association of Guernsey Charities and its Jersey counterparts agreed to put prices for the Christmas Lottery up to £2 each, with two chances to win. Every year since then the prize has been more than a million pounds.
Pictured: The Association of Guernsey Charities receives all of the profits from tickets sales from the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery once prizes have been allocated, before distributing grants among its members.
In 2018 the decision was made to put the price up to £3 for a Christmas Lottery ticket, giving more chances to win, with more prizes available. The organisers said the changes were made based on public feedback.
Alongside the rising first prize, which was guaranteed to be at least £500,000, compared to last year’s starting jackpot of £300,000, there will be a second prize of £50,000, five prizes of £10,000, 10 prizes of £5,000, 15 prizes of £2,500, 25 prizes of £1,000 and 30 prizes of £500.
In total the prize fund for the 2018 Lottery is said to be larger than in previous years, starting at £3.3million, with the overall prize fund growing as well as the jackpot until the draw on Thursday 20 December, in just over three weeks time.
The 2018 jackpot started at a guaranteed £500,000 and has now reached £600,000 since tickets went on sale at the start of October. More than 800,000 tickets have been sold across both islands which the States of Guernsey has admitted is fewer than by the same time last year, but there should still be an increase in the amount of money going to charities.
“Although that is fewer than at this time last year, income for local good causes is actually 19% higher due to the new ticket price.” – States of Guernsey.
The States spokesman said they are hopeful the jackpot will top a million pounds, but again said there are plenty of other prizes to be won too.
“A new prize structure has also been introduced for 2018, based on feedback in previous years. That means there will a more prizes in the main draw this year, of between £500 and £50,000. Those are in addition to the big jackpot, which we are still hopeful will top the £1 million mark.
“The top prize on the instant win portion of the ticket has also increased form £5,000 to £50,000.”
The charity projects which benefit from the proceeds of the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery are chosen from a number of applications made to the Association of Guernsey Charities. Its Chairman, Malcolm Woodhams, has expressed confidence in the success of the new ticket price.
He said “We are confident revenues will exceed last year which will be great news for so many good causes in Guernsey who will benefit as a result. This can only be a good thing for local charities.”
Pictured top: A 2018 Christmas Lottery ticket.