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Following feedback over a number of years, the organisers of the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery have increased the number of prizes available - but it will also cost you one pound more for each ticket you buy.
Tickets are available from today, but they'll cost £3 each under the revamped lottery.
The jackpot will continue to be a climbing prize, based on the number of tickets sold, but it will now start at a guaranteed minimum first prize of £500,000.
In total the prize fund for the 2018 Lottery is 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 previous years the growing first prize started at £300,000. The prize fund for 2018 is a minimum £3.3million in total and a guaranteed £500,000 for the jackpot with both increasing as more tickets are sold.
With a new brand, 'the Christmas Millionaire Maker game', the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery will continue to help some lucky winners start the new year with a bit more money in their wallet, while also raising money for good causes.
The tickets will still offer multiple chances of winning, with a scratch card and traditional ticket in one. There will be four chances to win through the traditional numbers part of the lottery ticket, alongside the scratch card components which the organisers said are guaranteed to include 288,000 instant prizes with a top prize of £50,000. The organisers said this is ten times larger than last year's scratch card offerings.
As tickets for the CI Christmas Lottery rise to £3 each, the CI Lottery distribution agent representative in Guernsey, Peter Brierley, said he believes they represent excellent value for money. "The ticket price has increased but I have confidence that the new Christmas Lottery is excellent value for money.
"Particularly, when you consider there are four chances to win on every ticket and this year there is a significantly larger pool of prizes and a much bigger instant scratch top prize which is just what customers have been asking for," said Mr Brierley.
He said it could even be "the most successful Christmas lottery yet," with the minimum prize fund being the biggest yet along with the rising jackpot and overall prize fund.
Proceeds from the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery are split between good causes in Guernsey and Jersey. Guernsey beneficiaries are chosen through the Association of Guernsey Charities.
The profits from ticket sales in Guernsey will again be shared between projects chosen by the Association of Guernsey Charities. It's Chairman, Malcolm Woodhams, is on the organising committee of the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery.
"The Channel Islands Christmas Lottery provides vital funding for good causes throughout the Bailiwick of Guernsey covering all aspects of Island life. I am delighted to announce that this year we have the largest ever range of prizes and I hope that the new prize structure and far larger instant scratch top prize will encourage islanders to buy tickets. I encourage all islanders to support the Channel Islands Lottery by playing responsibly," he said.
Mr Woodhams is pleased with the changes made to the lottery prizes and hopes it will mean more money being raised for local charities.
"I understand that syndicates make up a significant share of the market and in recent years, syndicates have won the first prize. The Association of Guernsey Charities hopes the trend towards groups of friends, colleagues and families buying tickets in block will continue. Syndicates that purchase blocks of 50 tickets from agents are also guaranteed to win a minimum of £30."
Pictured: Organisers of the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery with the team from Grow Limited, one of the members of the Association of Guernsey Charities.
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