Thiruvonam bumper fetches record revenue for lotteries department
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The grand wheel of fortune keeps spinning and there are 11 more days left to know the winner of the biggest jackpot in Kerala’s history. The Thiruvonam Bumper Lottery of the State Lotteries Department promises a whopping Rs 10 crore to the first prize winner. There are 10 second prizes of Rs 5 crore each. While the ticket sales are yet to be in full swing, the Lotteries Department estimates a record revenue from the bumper lottery this year. Until Saturday, nearly 32 lakh tickets were sold, fetching about Rs 80 crore for the department.
Last year, the department had sold 69.75 lakh tickets, each priced at Rs 200, to garner Rs 139.50 crore.
“Usually, sales gain full momentum after Thiruvonam. The sales will close on September 20 morning, the draw date. Current figures suggest the revenue will cross the previous year’s figure,” say officials.
Their confidence is partly based on the fact that the face value of the ticket is Rs 250 this year, Rs 50 more than the previous year.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the robust sales show people’s solidarity with state lotteries. “The government’s plan is to earmark the entire profit from state lotteries for public health. Soon we will have an expanded form of the present Karunya scheme benefiting more people,” Isaac said.
“The launch of the health scheme will further boost the loyalty of the people in state lotteries,” he said.
All prize amounts of this year’s bumper is up from the previous year. There are 20 third prizes of Rs 10 lakh each. The fourth prize of Rs 5 lakh each will be given to 20 persons; 40-43 per cent of the total sales turnover is given as prizes, 33 percent as commission and incentives to agents.
The government’s plan is to earmark the entire profit from state lotteries for public health. We will have an expanded form of the present Karunya scheme benefiting more people T M Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister