UK lottery frenzy driven by greed

Demand for lottery tickets is growing ahead of a £120-million EuroMillions jackpot, with Londoners, especially in wealthy areas of the capital, among the keenest buyers.

"The top 10 retailers were based in four of the most affluent areas of London - the City, Canary Wharf, Mayfair and Kensington - indicating that well-heeled players all made sure that they were in with a chance of winning the big one," Camelot said in a statement. The figures belie the commonly held but unsubstantiated view that lotteries prey on the poor and exploit the uneducated.

They validate a belief held by some lottery directors, namely that greed is the primary motivation for lottery sales. "All our players are greedy bastards," said one European lottery chief at an industry function in Mexico earlier this year. "Our role as responsible operators is to deal with the guilt."

This series of EuroMillions rollovers has already generated over £25 million for the Good Causes, which will benefit communities across the length and breadth of the UK, and that figure is expected to top £35 million by the end of Friday this week.