National Lottery

[Snoopy]

I see that the National Lottery is, once again, up for grabs. Camelot, who have run the lottery since its inception, are having to one more jump through hoops to fight off a challenge to their contract to run the lottery and associated "games". This time the challengers are an Indian based company and the National Lottery Commission will decide between the candidates on the basis of which one "promises" to devote more of the takings, which in themselves are only forecasts, to the so called "Good Causes".
Since this is all a cover for the Treasury to raise taxes in a different way are any of us interested and, perhaps of greater importance, do any of us still bother to buy a lottery ticket?

[Barman]

No lottery tickets for me?

Is Branson not bidding this time? Didn?t he promise to do it at cost last time and give all of the proceeds to ?good causes??

Camelot couldn?t win a third time in a row could they?

The answers to these questions and more questions to answer in a virtual pub near you today?

[Landlady]

Do any of us still bother to buy a lottery ticket?

I have to admit that when I am back in the UK (yes I do visit still from time to time) I do buy LT's  - I guess like most I am still hopeful (wishing) that my numbers would come up and I could place a few spare ????'s towards the official retirement fund

If the Indian company get it will you have to call a Bombay call centre to lodge your claim - heaven forbid 

I had a bit of truck the other day when trying to make an enquiry with one of the national banks and got routed to their off shore call centre - talk about make my blood boil 

[Snoopy]

Do any of us still bother to buy a lottery ticket?

I have to admit that when I am back in the UK (yes I do visit still from time to time) I do buy LT's  - I guess like most I am still hopeful (wishing) that my numbers would come up and I could place a few spare ????'s towards the official retirement fund

If the Indian company get it will you have to call a Bombay call centre to lodge your claim - heaven forbid 

I had a bit of truck the other day when trying to make an enquiry with one of the national banks and got routed to their off shore call centre - talk about make my blood boil 

You can afford to do this on the few pence that Barman allows you?



BTW Are you not "Off Shore"?

[Landlady]

Do any of us still bother to buy a lottery ticket?

I have to admit that when I am back in the UK (yes I do visit still from time to time) I do buy LT's  - I guess like most I am still hopeful (wishing) that my numbers would come up and I could place a few spare ????'s towards the official retirement fund

If the Indian company get it will you have to call a Bombay call centre to lodge your claim - heaven forbid 

I had a bit of truck the other day when trying to make an enquiry with one of the national banks and got routed to their off shore call centre - talk about make my blood boil 

You can afford to do this on the few pence that Barman allows you?

BTW Are you not "Off Shore"?

Yes I manage to buy a ticket by skipping a meal and on that basis if I win I figure the money is mine, ALL mine and nor Barman's too 

Off shore us , yup you are correct 

[Uncle Mort]

I manage the office lottery - 12 members, ?1 per week each. The return was about 25% of the stake over the past year. So that's about ?470 to the lottery coffers.

[Snoopy]

I manage the office lottery - 12 members, ?1 per week each. The return was about 25% of the stake over the past year. So that's about ?470 to the lottery coffers.

Or put another way if ?470 is 25% then you have lost 75% which would be ?1410. Added together the two comes to ?1880.  12 members @ ?1 per week each is ?12 x 52.143 (weeks in a year) = ?625.72
Nope ~ I must have made a mistake 'cos that does not compute.

Let's see .... If the total stake was ?625.72 and you got a return of 25% of that investment then you "won" ?156.43. Nope that can't be right either.

I know! You are the company accountant and I claim my ?5

[Uncle Mort]

12 x £1 x 52 weeks = £624.00

25% of £624.00 = £156.00

£624.00 - £156.00 (return) = £468.00 to the lottery coffers (loss)

BTW I'm producing the company's P&L and Balance Sheet at this moment. (looking good)

[Snoopy]

You see I knew it!
So I guess my fiver will be in the post ~ just as soon as you can find two directors to sign it but as this is the holiday period and due to an unfortunate glitch in the SAGE system I may have to wait some time until it starts its journey through your ninety day payment period.

[Bar Wench]

My Mother has spent a pound a week on it since it started. We've seen ?75 back. 

[Barman]

My Mother has spent a pound a week on it since it started. We've seen ?75 back. 

About ?965 down then? 

[Bar Wench]

Yep. I tried pointing that out to her the other day and mentioned that she would have been better off putting it into the wedding fund but nooooooo 

[Barman]

The problem is that once you are that far down there is the fear that the week you stop doing it your numbers will come up?   

[grumpyoldsoldier]

Camelot have won it again.. no bloody suprise there then

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6934209.stm

[Uncle Mort]

Camelot seem to run the lottery well enough. I see no reason to change although it's worth doing the tender just to make sure.

I do the same with various suppliers.