PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 05: 11
After receiving a negative response from the people since its release in November, the Finance Ministry is considering the future of the N3 jackpot.
The three-digit lottery ( N3 ), which was introduced in a bid to defeat illegal lotteries and expensive six-digit lottery tickets ( L6), did not perform as expected during its trial phase, according to deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat on Tuesday.
Launched on Nov 1 as part of a six-month” platform” program, the N3 jackpot offers cards priced at 20 ringgit each through 800 authorised retailers globally. The initiative sought to entice buyers by offering a legal alternative and to reduce annual underground lottery purchases by 10 % to 20 %.
But, sales have fallen short of projections, with just 1.17 million tickets sold last quarter compared to the five million cards available per pick.
Critics claim that N3 has neglected to solve important issues like the systemic problems in the raffle distribution system and the supremacy of middlemen in the L6 market.
After the platform period is over, Mr. Julapun stated that the impact of the N3 lottery would be carefully examined. If the results remain below anticipation, the state may withdraw the effort, he said.