Nearly Rs500 million were spent on the Millionaire cards

Mauritians have spent nearly Rs500 million on the Millionaire cards in the game’s first year on the market.

Lottotech, the company which operates the game under the Loterie National brand, said that 97% of the 10 million cards put on the market were sold. 

But from Lottotech’s point of view, there is still room for improvement.

The launch of the second season of the Millionnaire game is expected to bring more revenues for the company as it claims in its annual report that the average amount spent per individual still remains small. Millionnaire was introduced by Lottotech on June 5, 2010.

The Millionnaire is a scratch card game which offers players the chance to win a maximum on-the-spot prize of Rs100,000 and a television prize of up to Rs1 million by turning the Millionnaire wheel. A person needs to scratch a card with three television symbols to be able to go on the television version of the game.

During the first season, Lottotech issued 10 million Millionnaire cards to its retailers. Of the 10 million cards, 58 people were lucky enough to go on TV and 35 players got the maximum on-the-spot prize of Rs100,000.

“In all, we have paid more than Rs227 million to onthe- spot winners,” said Moorghen Veeramootoo, Deputy General Manager of Lottotech. For the second season, the number of cards issued will again be more than 10 million. 

Anyone wanting to go on television and turn the Millionnaire wheel will have to scratch one the 60 cards bearing the three television symbols. There will also be 40 Rs100,000 prizes and 40 Rs50,000 prizes.

The official figures released by Lottotech show that the probability of scratching the three-televisions symbol card is one in 166,666.67. To get an on-the-spot prize of Rs100,000 or Rs50,000 the probability is one in 250,000.

Apart from changes in its prize structure the Millionnaire wheel has also been subject to some revision. The Rs1 million segments on the wheel have been increased from three to six. Moreover, new segments of Rs450,000, Rs400,000 and Rs350,000 have been introduced.

The date of the next television show of the Millionnaire game has not yet been decided. “We cannot say when exactly it will start. It all depends on the winners and the people who get the three television symbols,” said Moorghen Veeramootoo.