Lotto Double Prize Event Announced for 24th August
Last Updated: Tuesday 28th April 2020, 10:15
It has been revealed that the Lotto draw on the 24th August 2019 will be a ‘Double Prize Event’, offering thousands of players the chance to win double on their ticket.
View Double Prize Event Results
What could you win in a Lotto Double Prize Event?
Camelot has revealed that in the special Double Prize Event all cash prizes apart from the jackpot will be doubled. The free Lucky Dip prize for matching two numbers will not change for the special event. Here's exactly what you can win in the Double Prize Event on 24th August:
- Jackpot - No change*
- Match 5 + Bonus Ball - Prize doubled from £1 million to £2 million
- Match 5 - Prize doubled from £1,750 to £3,500
- Match 4 - Prize doubled from £140 to £280
- Match 3 - Prize doubled from £30 to £60
- Match 2 - Free Lucky Dip (no change)
* Although the jackpot prize will not be doubled, the National Lottery has stated that all jackpot winners will receive at least £2 million to make sure that they don't receive a smaller prize than those in the category below.
Play Lotto To Earn Free Cinema Tickets
The Double Prize Event is linked to the National Lottery Cinema Day for 2019, which takes place on Sunday 25th August. You can use your Lotto ticket to watch a film for free.
National Lottery Cinema Day has been scheduled to celebrate the funding that lottery players give to the British Film Institute (BFI). The money raised from ticket sales for good causes has helped to back more than 500 film productions over the past 25 years, and to say thank you there will be over 500,000 free cinema tickets available.
You will only be able to watch a film for free on Sunday 25th August at participating cinemas - which include Odeon, Empire, Light, Picturehouse and Merlin venues across the UK. Here’s how to claim your free cinema ticket:
- Buy a Lotto ticket for the Double Prize Event on Saturday 24th August. Each line of numbers provides free entry for one adult.
- Visit the National Cinema Day website from Wednesday 21st August. Select the cinema of your choice from the list of options and book/reserve your tickets.
The claims process differs slightly between cinema chains. If you wish to go to an Odeon, for example, you must book in advance, while for other cinemas you are only advised to make a reservation. Keep your Lotto ticket with you so that you can prove you are entitled to a free cinema ticket. If you have played online, you will need your confirmation email. You do not need to hand any Lotto entries over, and you can watch a film for free whether you have won a prize or not.
Double Prize Event Prize Capping
An extra £28 million will be added to the prize fund to cover the higher prize amounts. In the unlikely event that this is not enough to pay all of the prizes out, they will be subject to prize capping. If that happens, prizes may not be doubled but the National Lottery would calculate them as follows:
- To begin with, every winner in the qualifying categories would receive the usual fixed amount
- All winners in the qualifying categories would then receive an additional £30
- Winners in the Match 4 to Match 5 + Bonus categories will be paid another £110
- Winners in the Match 5 and Match 5 + Bonus categories will receive another £1,610
- Any money remaining in the prize fund will be split equally between all winners in the Match 5 + Bonus category
This way, in the event that there is an unusually high number of winners, the National Lottery can maximise the returns for as many players as possible. Jackpot prizes may not be topped up to £2 million if prize capping is enforced.
It's very unlikely that prize capping will be needed. The average prize fund needed to pay out the winners in the Match 3 to Match 5 + Bonus categories in Saturday Lotto draws from 4th May to 10th August was £5.8 million. This does not include draws where a Rolldown occurred, but it would take many more winners for prize capping to be needed.
Visit the Lotto Results page to see the winning numbers from the Double Prize Event as soon as they are confirmed. If you have a ticket for the draw, use the Lotto Ticket Checker to find out if you've won one of the special prizes.