Lotto players will have to select their winning numbers from a pool of 59 – up from 49 – in sweeping changes to the game taking effect later this year.
National Lottery operator Camelot claimed the “enhancements” will actually give players a better chance of winning and better odds of becoming a millionaire.
Camelot said a new Millionaire Raffle will guarantee at least one millionaire per draw, the average winning jackpot is expected to be triple the current level, and the chances of winning at least £1 million will be better than the chances of winning the jackpot on the current game, with odds at one in just under 10 million compared with one in just under 14 million on today’s game.
Players who match two numbers will win a Lucky Dip ticket for a future draw, which Camelot said would create an extra 1.8 million winners a week and increase the overall chance of winning any prize from one in 54 currently to one in 9.3.
The cost of playing will remain at £2 a line, and other prizes such as £25 for matching three numbers will also stay the same.
Camelot chief executive Andy Duncan said: “Lotto has enjoyed two years of consecutive growth since we re-invigorated the game in 2013 and has already delivered over £250 million more to Good Causes than if we had done nothing to change the game.
“What we’re announcing today – offering players more chances than ever to become a millionaire on Lotto and bigger rolling jackpots – is part of our programme of continuous innovation and builds on Lotto’s ongoing success.”
Camelot is yet to reveal the exact October launch date.