The World's First Lottery Where Players Choose Their own Charitable Donations Released
LONDON, March 26, 2009 — Today marks the arrival of PlayOTTO.com (http://www.playotto.com), the world's first lottery to enable players to choose which charities receive their donations. This innovative online lottery also offers the world's largest ever starting jackpot of EUR25,000,000, which will continue to increase and rollover until a lucky winner is found. PlayOTTO.com also offers the world's largest virtual scratchcard jackpot of EUR5,000,000.
The launch coincides with the release of YouGov research findings commissioned by PlayOTTO.com, which has found that an overwhelming 72% of British adults want the right to choose where their charitable contributions from playing lotteries are donated - something that no lottery has offered until now.
Charities that look for cures to diseases were the most popular, with almost a third (32%) of Britons stating they are most likely to donate money to such causes. Charities that help local causes were the second most popular with 16%, followed by charities that protect animals (11%).
"With over 750,000 charities worldwide, PlayOTTO.com believes that it's a player's right to choose which causes receive their charitable donations, says Hans Eirik Olav, Head of PlayOTTO.com. "The results of our research show an overwhelming proportion of the British public echo our beliefs and want donations to be democratised. Many people hold particular charities close to their hearts and we want to ensure that they can help these worthy causes whilst having fun, earning money themselves and potentially scooping one of our world-leading jackpot prizes."
Have Fun
PlayOTTO.com creates a fun-filled environment for players, offering a huge range of opportunities to win both on an individual and group basis:
- PlayOTTO.com offers the world's largest starting jackpot of EUR25,000,000 and every ticket bought offers a 'second chance' at the jackpot - simply purchase a ticket and if you don't win, your numbers will automatically be entered into the next draw for another chance to scoop the jackpot.
- Players preferring to opt for virtual scratchcards can play the OTTO Instant Game, offering the opportunity to grab the world's largest prize of its kind - EUR5,000,000 - instantly.
- Anybody can create their own lottery groups and invite others to join their online community. These teams can play as a syndicate, increasing each member's chance of winning and raising money for a common goal.
Make Money
PlayOTTO.com offers players unique opportunities to earn money even if they don't scoop the jackpot themselves:
- Players can earn money by introducing new players to PlayOTTO.com, earning a percentage commission on the games that these people play.
- Also, by creating growing networks, players can earn commissions on in-network winnings, including the top jackpot prize. There are plenty of opportunities to win, with typically 1 in every 10 lottery tickets and 1 in every 4 scratchcards leading to a win.
- People also get piece of mind with PlayOTTO.com, which guarantees players funds via a state-owned bank and uses leading online transaction security systems to ensure safe payments.
Do Good
By playing games on PlayOTTO.com, players not only have the chance of claiming the world's largest starting lottery prize, they also have the opportunity to do good:
- When buying tickets, players are able to choose the charity they wish to donate proceeds to. If they don't see their favourite charity, they can simply email PlayOTTO.com with their choice and that charity will be contacted by PlayOTTO.com and listed on the site.
- If players want to start raising money right away, they can form a team and start raising funds for their favourite charity or local good cause.
- If players decide not to opt for any particular charity, proceeds are placed in the OTTO Trust, the charitable wing of PlayOTTO.com, which takes responsibility for distributing this money to worthy causes.
- All charities are verified before donations are distributed, ensuring peace of mind for players that proceeds are going to a genuine cause.
Lottery draws take place twice a week at 12 noon GMT on Tuesdays and Fridays and tickets for the draw cost EUR2. The starting jackpot is always a minimum of EUR25m and grows until it is won. The Instant Fortune scratchcard game is priced at EUR4.
About PlayOTTO.com
PlayOTTO.com is the premier online lottery and gaming community, offering an unprecedented starting jackpot of EUR25 million while the OTTO Instant Game features a grand prize of EUR5 million.
Lottery draws take place twice a week at 12 noon GMT on Tuesdays and Fridays. A ticket for the draw is EUR2. The starting jackpot is always EUR25m and grows until it is won. The Instant Fortune instant win game is priced at EUR4.
PlayOTTO.com is operated by the privately owned and funded by OTTO Malta Limited which holds a European Union License and is regulated by the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA). OTTO Malta Limited presents its players with a secure online community where they can have fun, make money, and donate to their favourite causes.
