Wales is set to get its own weekly televised lottery on on S4C

Wales is to have its own weekly televised lottery, with tickets set to go on sale on Monday 10th April and the first draw to take place on Friday 28th April.

Details of Loteri Cymru, a new all-Wales society lottery have been unveiled today. The weekly ‘loto’ draw has a guaranteed jackpot of £25,000 – the maximum the lottery can offer under society lottery rules – with proceeds raising money for grassroots community causes throughout Wales.

The loto jackpot winners will need to match 5 of 39 drawn numbers and other prizes will also be on offer for matching fewer numbers. Tickets are priced at just £1 and players will have a better than one in nine chance of winning a prize – which organisers say is better than the National Lottery Lotto.

Every ticket – unless it has scooped the jackpot – will also be entered free into loto+, a monthly raffle offering 10 guaranteed £1000 prizes. The first loto+ draw will also take place on 28th April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTbMCuKfTA

Operator Loteri Cymru is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) chaired by WRU Chairman and former Wales rugby international, Gareth Davies. Its chief executive, Sue Carter, was previously a director at Yahoo!, and is a former BBC journalist, producer and editor.

A charitable arm, Hanfod Cymru, has been established to distribute a minimum of 20% of the proceeds from Loteri Cymru ticket sales to good causes. Hanfod is chaired by Mrs Deris Williams and its interim CEO is Marc Phillips, who was formerly Head of Policy at BBC Children in Need.

Local charities all over Wales will be invited to apply for support for community projects with educational, social and cultural benefits. Further details on the charitable arm are to to be announced in the coming days – and we are told those in Wrexham will be eligible.

S4C is Loteri Cymru’s exclusive broadcast partner, with the rights to broadcast each draw on its TV and online channels, and to all programming around the good causes.

Loteri Cymru Chair, Gareth Davies, explained that Loteri Cymru will add to the amount of money raised in Wales for good causes while offering an attractive jackpot and affordable ticket price.

“We are launching Loteri Cymru to create a win-win for the people and communities of Wales, where individuals can afford to try their luck at winning a life-enhancing jackpot and their local communities benefit, too,” he said.

“Our research has shown that people really like the idea of a dedicated Welsh lottery that benefits local causes. We want Loteri.Cymru to become a real part of life here, so that, as soon as possible, everyone in Wales will know someone who has won a prize or be aware of a good cause that has benefited.”

Mrs Carter explained how the team had set out to devise a lottery that would give people a “genuinely good chance of winning”.

“Firstly, we wanted to make sure the ticket price was set at £1, so that people feel they can afford to join in,” she said.

“Then we wanted to offer an appealing guaranteed jackpot plus a variety of prizes for matching from two to five balls – so that the overall odds of winning are a really attractive 1 in 9 and then to give players a second chance to scoop a prize with loto +.”

Carol Bell, Chair of SDML, S4C’s commercial arm, said: “We are delighted to be able to support a uniquely Welsh lottery that will generate great programming opportunities as well as much-needed funds just for Wales.”

More information is available at www.loteri.cymru where you will be able to buy tickets if aged over 16.