03/02/2006

Lottery jackpot hits £125 million

Thousands of people across the UK are expected to buy tickets for tonight's EuroMillions draw as the jackpot hit a record £125 million.

UK lottery operator Camelot has predicted that sales will be 12 times higher than usual for the draw, after the jackpot rolled over for the eleventh consecutive week.

Celebrity Big Brother winner Chantelle Houghton is helping to promote the game in the UK.

Tesco have reportedly brought in extra staff to deal with the anticipated rise in tickets sales.

Tonight's draw, which takes place in Paris at 21:30 GMT, is the penultimate chance for players to scoop the jackpot - the world's largest ever single lottery payout.

If no one wins the prize this week or next week, the prize money will be distributed among the winners in the next prize tier.

The EuroMillions previous largest winner was Dolores McNamara from Limerick, who won £79 million last July.

The UK's largest EuroMillions jackpot winner was Marion Richardson form Gateshead, who won £16.7 million in April 2004.

The £1.50 a line, EuroMillions draw is open to players in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, the Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Players have to match five main numbers, between one and 50, and two Lucky Stars, between one and nine, in order to win the jackpot.

(KMcA)

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