Monday Million - The Irish Lotto

Published on: 08/09/2013

It would be hard to overemphasize the importance of the Monday Millions lottery to the Irish people. It is colloquially known as the Monday Irish Lotto, and millions of people have never missed a single bet on it – indeed, to do so would be unthinkable to them. The game, like all major successful lotteries, is extremely simple to understand and play: the player must choose six numbers ranging from 1 through to 39. The objective is to match as many correct numbers from the Monday draw, which features 6 selections plus a bonus number. A single euro ticket can give you the chance to win a million! No wonder the game is so popular!

The laws governing Monday millions came into effect on the 6th of April 2010 – The Minister of Finance himself granted rights to the National Lottery Company, in strict accordance with the National Lottery Act of 1986. Tickets can only be purchased at sanctioned Lotto Agents, who have been granted rights to sell both online and instant tickets through section seven of the National Lottery act.

To play the game players will mark their chosen numbers on a payslip – a small piece of paper bearing all 39 numbers – and register it at one of the Lotto Agents. Quick Pick numbers enable another way to play: these are chosen randomly by the National Lottery’s computer. Many people actually prefer this method, believing a chance selection will be more fortuitous.

The minimum price of a ticket is one euro, and players must be at least 18 years of age to participate. At present there is no way to play online, but this may certainly change in the future. The weekly draw takes place every Monday, during a live event, which is screened on TV3 at around 8:30. The following table details the payment structuring:

Matched Numbers	Bonus Number	Winnings
6	No	€1,000,000
5	Yes	€10,000
5	No	€500
4	Yes	€0
4	No	€25
3	Yes	€10
3	No	€3 Scratch Card

An interesting feature of Monday Millions, the Irish Lotto, is that if there are multiple people who have chosen the correct six numbers, they are each still awarded a full €1 million. Many other lotteries divide the top prize in this case, so it is an attractive and noble feature of the Irish Lotto that the winners will all be millionaires. There is a stipulation of course – the total number of winners must not exceed five – otherwise by some stroke of luck twenty or fifty players could all pick the correct numbers and bankrupt the company!

Another feature of the Irish Lotto is that if there is no winner the winning prize doesn’t not roll over. Many other lotteries – the British National Lottery for instance, roll over their prizes each week, until there is some stupendous about in the pot! Also there is no more than a single prize allocated to each individual ticket.

Monday millions features a scratch card, which is available from all lottery agents. It costs €3, and offers its own set of prizes. Lottery scratch cards are sanctioned under the second section of the general rules of the National Lottery Company. Yet another way to participate in the experience is through the Monday Millions Advance Play feature. Through this the player can enter into as many as a month’s worth of draws. In this way at the beginning of the month you can pray for four weeks worth of luck to be contained in the numbers you choose, and hope to be a millionaire by the time you turn the page on the calendar!

Published on: 08/09/2013 © Bet Bind