One of the most popular forms of gambling in Mauritius is the national lottery. Moreover, the lottery industry in Mauritius is fully regulated and legalized, enabling lottery players to place their wagers in a safe and secure environment.
History
Government-run lottery games have been in existence right from 1940. The Lottery Committee was launched under the Gambling Regulatory Act of 2007, which repealed the Gaming Act of 1973. This act put all government-run lotteries under the common name of “Loterie Verte.” The Lottery Committee is under the direct control of the finance and economic empowerment ministry of Mauritius.
The first draw was held on April 13, 1940 in the Mauritius Turf Club and the second draw was held on June 29, 1940 at L’Hotel de Ville de Rose Hill. The first prize winner of the first draw ever won a grand prize of R10,358.52, and during those days, a lottery ticket cost 0.25cs. When the prize per ticket rose to R5, the first prize amount also shot up to R5 million.
Draws were held manually till July 1994. After this date, electro mechanic devices were used to hold the draws in the Treasury Building at Port Louis.
A brand new payout structure was implemented from the 718th lottery draw, which was held on July 6, 2012. According to this prize structure, the first prize amount was R10 million and each lottery ticket cost R10. Besides, the prize structure included 75 consolation prizes worth R100,000.
Every year, a total of 12 draws are held, one draw per month from February to November and two draws in December. The draw held at the end of December is called the Special Draw and 7,500,000 tickets are sold for this draw. All the other draws are called Normal Draws and 4,990,000 tickets are sold for each Normal Draw.
Prizes and Draws
Playing the Mauritius national lottery is as simple as selecting a few numbers and checking if they match with the numbers drawn at random during the draw. Lucky winners can collect their prizes personally at Port Louis from 9:30 to 12:00 and again from 13:00 to 15:00 on any week day. They need to produce their identification proof and the winning lottery ticket in good condition. Payments are made as crossed checks only and the winnings are totally tax free.
Prizes should be claimed within 9 months of winning, after which the winners will have to forfeit their prizes. Players can check the results of as many as nine previous draws on the official Mauritius National Lottery website, http://www.lottery.gov.mu.
Interested players are also free to watch the draw, which is held at the Government Lotteries Drawing Office at Port Louis in the Republic of Mauritius.