Types of lotteries
There are many types of instant lottery, which are classified according to various criteria - nature of the game, price, scale of organisation, etc. In Lithuania, the organisation of lotteries is supervised by the Law on Lotteries of the Republic of Lithuania.
The best online casinos offer the following games:
Lotteries by scale of organisation:
The Big Lottery. It is a lottery, the organiser of which has a licence entitling it to distribute lottery tickets throughout the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, and for which the nominal value of the tickets to be distributed is unlimited.
Small lottery. A lottery, the organiser of which is licensed by the executive authority of the municipality in the territory of which the lottery is organised in accordance with the requirements of this Lottery Act, where lottery tickets are distributed and the lottery is organised during a sporting, cultural or other public event and the prizes are awarded before the end of the event, and where the nominal value of the tickets to be distributed does not exceed €30 000.
By nature of the game:
Digital. A lottery in which the winning lottery ticket is won by the correct selection of numbers and/or other symbols, and the prize and the amount of the prize are determined by the amount paid for the lottery ticket and the number of numbers and/or other symbols selected by the player and the number of numbers and/or other symbols that have been drawn in the lottery draw. The price of a digital lottery ticket shall be fixed or the player may choose the price of the ticket. An example of a lottery is Kenoloto.
Instant lottery. The most popular, perhaps the easiest and most accessible type of lottery is the instant lottery ticket. Nowadays, lottery tickets are becoming very popular online instant lotteries. The game is exactly the same as the paper instant lottery - after purchasing a ticket with a visual representation of the game symbols, which are invisible to the player at the time of the purchase, the player follows the steps set out in the rules, reveals the game symbols, and, if he or she is lucky, wins a cash prize immediately. The price of an Instant Draw ticket is fixed. An example of a lottery is 'Vegas'.
Classical. The lottery is won by selecting a lottery ticket containing numbers and/or other symbols that are unknown to the player and the prize and the size of the prize are determined by the number of numbers and/or other symbols that are printed on the lottery ticket and that are drawn during the lottery draw. The price of a Classic Lottery ticket is fixed. An example of a lottery is the Teleloto.
Sports. Sports lotteries, where the prize is determined by the number of numbers and/or other signs correctly selected on the lottery ticket, depending on the outcome of the sporting event and indicating the result, are also becoming increasingly popular. A sports lottery works like this: for example, you choose a football match you want to play and try to predict the exact result of that match. If you guess, you share the prize pool with the other people who guessed the result. The price of a sports lottery ticket is fixed. An example of a lottery is Sportloto.
Lotteries based on the technology used to distribute lottery tickets, process data and pay out winnings:
Live computer lottery. When lottery tickets are sold, winnings shall be paid out through terminals in a network of direct-connection computer terminals located in different areas of the Republic of Lithuania, connected by telecommunication links to a central computer, which ensures centralised accounting of the sale of lottery tickets and the payment of winnings.
Indirect link lottery. When lottery tickets are sold, winnings are paid out without the use of terminals on a network of direct-connected computers.
Telephone lottery. Where the information required to participate in the lottery is transmitted to the lottery computer system database by telephone and an entry is recorded in the lottery database confirming the player's participation in the lottery. The player shall pay for participation in the lottery through the telephone operator.
Online lottery. Where the information required to participate in the lottery is transmitted to the lottery computer system database via an internet connection and an entry is recorded in the lottery database confirming the player's participation in the lottery. The player shall pay for participation in the lottery through the telecommunication service systems of credit institutions.
History of the Instant Lottery
The prototype of the lottery is considered to be a game developed in China around 100 BC, whose rounds were even used to build the Great Wall of China. In ancient Rome, tickets were given away for free to plebeians during festivals and prizes were awarded to lucky ticket holders. Over the years, lotteries began to spread further across Europe. In the 16th century, the first lottery was held in Italy, where winners received cash prizes. A few hundred years later, in the 18th century, 50 colleges, 300 schools and 200 churches were built in the United States with the money raised from the lottery, and a portion of it was used to maintain universities. Lotteries were later banned, then legalised again, until 1999 when the World Lottery Association (World Lottery Association, which today unites more than 80 countries. Source: https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/loterija-17631.
The lottery was first organised in Lithuania in 1768, and the first instant tickets appeared in Lithuania around 25 years ago. The main prize for the first edition of Olimpas tickets was an Opel Kadett. News of the first instant lottery spread very quickly, tickets melted away, and the lottery organisers claimed that the valuable prize had such a big impact on the success of the idea. A little later, the small "Tik tak" instant lottery appeared, where even children tried their luck, as the ticket price was only 50 cents.
The first original game tickets were produced using manual random number methods, followed by the development of special algorithmic calculators. Today, the British company Scientific Games is one of the world's largest producers of instant lotteries, setting the trend in ticketing technology for the whole of Europe. Their specialists also advise Lithuanian companies, sharing their insights and ideas.
It is said that Lithuanians love the magic number 7, so for example, the instant lottery "Sėkmės 7" offers Lithuanians five different types of tickets, ranging in price from 50 cents to 10 euros. The most expensive ticket can win €250,000 or less. Thus, today there are already over 20 different instant lotteries with different prize amounts.
The best online casinos offer the following games:
Why do people like the instant lottery?
The first reason
The instant lottery is one of the easiest and simplest lotteries on the market to access - erasable lottery tickets can be bought in almost any supermarket, petrol station, newsagent or smaller shop. In addition, online lotteries are becoming increasingly popular, where players do not even have to go to a physical shop to buy a ticket. When playing online, the outcome is completely random and, in simple terms, down to luck, so every ticket has an equal chance of winning.
The second reason
The secret to the success of instant lotteries is very simple - shoppers can find out immediately if they have won. This is especially true for younger players who need everything here and now. The game is also very simple: the player buys a ticket with a pre-printed layer of symbols - colourful pictures, numbers, shapes, etc. - underneath a removable opaque layer. If a winning combination of symbols, such as 3 sevens, or a special symbol, such as a gold bar, is found when the protective layer is erased, the player immediately wins a predetermined prize. In addition, instant lotteries are not limited to a single win - some even offer several cash prizes at the same time. If you are unlucky in the main game, there is always a chance to win something by checking the 'special' box.
Slightly more active players have been seen to opt for lotteries, where they can win not only cash prizes, but also cars, household appliances and even trips to warm destinations. The most popular are the Lithuanian "Teleloto" or "Jėga" and the international "Eurojackpot" and "Viking Lotto". The latter is Europe's first international lottery, which Lithuania joined back in 2011. In Viking Lotto, players from European countries compete for a shared jackpot, which can accumulate from a minimum of €3 million up to a maximum of €35 million, and a grand prize!
The third reason
Lotteries stimulate curiosity and increase adrenaline levels because the player does not know what to expect when the protective layer is removed. Finally, some players buy their tickets immediately after they have been scratched off, while others often buy them as gifts. It has been observed that instant lottery sales spike during the festive season in anticipation of Santa Claus being very generous this year. So, every lottery finds its buyer!
Instant lottery, how to win?
The saying that instant lotteries are just a case of throwing money at the prize is a big myth. In Lithuania alone, one lottery company has paid out nearly €66 million in winnings to instant lottery players in the last five years! Moreover, even statutory lottery lawsthat the prize fund must be at least 50 % of the face value of the lottery tickets to be distributed.
Of course, there is no definitive answer to how to win the instant lottery, but some players do believe that there are certain strategies and rules that increase the chances of winning. So, what are the secrets of the instant lottery and where to buy the winning instant lottery tickets?
1) Firstly, the more expensive the ticket you buy, the more likely you are to win more money with it. For example, buying a lottery ticket for €1 could win €5,000 or less, while buying a €5 ticket could add as much as €75,000 to your wallet.
2) Buy at least a few different types of instant tickets - if you have won one today, don't rush out and buy the same lottery again, but rather wait until tomorrow. Also, remember that you can win more than one prize with one ticket, so read the rules carefully.
3) When playing lotteries, try the same number combinations several times. Most players make the mistake of thinking they are unlucky once with certain numbers. But maybe they are successful in another lottery?
4) And most importantly, if you have a winning ticket, don't forget to withdraw your winnings within a certain timeframe, otherwise they will simply expire.
Instant Lottery Secrets
Did you know that a number of public buildings are built with lottery funds? Lottery fundraising has been popular for a long time - as early as the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I organised public lotteries to raise money for public buildings. This not only built the famous British Museum and parts of the Roman roads, but also the Great Wall of China, the Ivy League universities and Jamestown Colony.
What happens when you win the lottery? Statistics show that as many as 52% of people who win a million or more quit their jobs... In addition, winners of large prize pools tend to buy 4-5 new cars, and 10% of them buy 10 or more cars!
Sometimes, players don't claim their cash prizes... In 2012, the grand prize of the popular American Mega Millions lottery - a whopping $656 million - was unclaimed! To this day, it is still not known whether the lottery winner did not know he had won, or whether he lost his ticket or simply forgot it.
Another interesting fact is that Richard Lustig, an American, won more than USD 1 million in seven state lottery games between 1993 and 2010, because, according to him, he guessed the lottery's algorithm and knew which tickets were winning. He even wrote a book in which he tells readers the secrets of winning the lottery.
Another famous statistician, Mohan Srivastava from Toronto, Canada, has learned how to predict which instant lottery tickets are winning. He suspected that the lottery tickets were generated using software called a pseudo-random number generator. And indeed, he noticed that tickets in which the three visible numbers are non-repeating are almost always the winning ones, so he decided to run a test. He sent two sets of unmarked tickets to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation - one stack he marked as lucky and one as unlucky. Two hours later, he received a phone call telling him that he had correctly guessed 19 out of 20 winning cards.
Instant lottery and interesting facts about Lithuanians
Did you know that 70% of Lithuanians buy at least one lottery ticket at least once a year? Moreover, Lithuanians probably don't even know that the maximum possible winnings of instant lotteries organised in Lithuania are €250,000 and of lottery lotteries - €90 million, and that there are currently 200 slot machines, 18 casinos and 146 betting shops in Lithuania!
It turns out that Lithuanians still have a lot of superstitions, which, according to the winners, bring good luck. Kasturi has a lucky coin with which he rubs all the instant lottery tickets, and who buys only the last lottery ticket at the cash desk, believing that it is the one with the lucky combination of numbers. By the way, the last Eurojackpot ticket at the box office guaranteed the record Lithuanian prize of €7.6 million for a pensioner from Kaunas!
Today, there is a wide range of instant lotteries to choose from, so all you have to do is pick your favourite one and try your luck from time to time - after all, it's not just the prize money that's exciting, but also the process of playing the game itself that's so interesting and intriguing. It's a lot of fun to scratch instant tickets, but remember that they are games of chance, so play responsibly! Or find out, how to avoid missing out.
EN 
LT 
DE 
FR 
SV 
ES 
IT 
FI 
LV 
SK 
SL 
TR