Tonight’s Super 5 jackpot has hit an all-time record of €1.35 million and one lucky winner may be in for a life-changing Christmas.
The jackpot has been gradually ballooning since last August as nobody has guessed the correct five numbers from one to 45, which are drawn every Wednesday evening.
Until today, the highest jackpot ever won was in December 2007 when a single player pocketed €1.29 million.
Although today’s jackpot starts at €1.35 million, the final amount will be higher, as part of the proceeds from this week’s ticket sales will be added to the first prize. If no one guesses the numbers, the jackpot could keep growing indefinitely until there is a winner as the Super 5 lottery is not capped.
People were this week questioning whether a high jackpot in December was becoming a Christmas tradition, seeing as last year there were no wins throughout December and the jackpot had reached €350,000 on New Year’s Eve.
The only two times since 2004 that the Super 5 jackpot was similarly high during the festive period were in 2005 and 2007
Maltco PR manager Gertrude Borg Marks immediately dispelled the idea.
“The only two times since 2004 that the Super 5 jackpot was similarly high during the festive period were in 2005 and 2007,” Ms Borg Marks said.
On December 14, 2005 the jackpot had reached €1,164,687, while on December 12, 2007 it swelled to €1,292,166.
“Probably these two years explain why there is a public perception that the Super 5 jackpot tends to go high during the Christmas period,” she said.
On average, jackpots in December tend to be in the range of €300,000. Statistics show that Super 5 jackpots tend to get higher in spring and summer.
Ms Borg Marks stressed that all lottery live draws were conducted in a secure studio equipped with an intrusion alarm system located at the PBS studios. These were carried out in the presence of a Lotteries and Gaming Authority representative, a notary and two members of the public.
The draw process is reminiscent of Alcatraz. “There are two safes containing the keys for the padlocks that secure the cases containing the draw balls,” she said.
Before each live draw, the balls are weighed in the presence of the officials to ensure their weight “is in line” with the “strict pre-established weight tolerance”.
Draw machines are tested before each live draw. After this, the notary, together with the other officials, randomly loads the balls in the draw machine loader tubes.
After the draw, and before leaving the studio, all the balls are placed back in the cases that are then locked and secured with two different keys that are put back in two separate safes: one for Maltco and one for the gaming authority.
“The studio will be locked and armed against any unauthorised access,” Ms Borg Marks stressed. She said the public was always invited to attend and witness the two-hour whole process “as many times as they please”.