Lottery to create 100 millionaires by breaking record for jackpots

National Lottery organisers have this week been gearing up for what they anticipate will be a sales frenzy as the EuroMillions jackpot was yesterday estimated to have reached £105m.

Organisers Camelot said they expect sales to reach more than three million tickets an hour at their peak tomorrow – more than 800 a second.

A spokesman said: “Friday’s EuroMillions draw has just got even bigger.

“Not only will we see a stunning world record set as 100 players become millionaires overnight but there is now also a chance to win an estimated £105m jackpot.

“We are predicting EuroMillions sales will be up more than 300 per cent on a normal base week which means even more money raised for National Lottery Good Causes.

“Retailers are getting ready for the rush, stocking an extra 20 million playslips for the draw and loading up an extra eight million metres of ticket roll.

“We urge players to get their tickets early to ensure they don’t miss out.”

Tomorrow’s draw is a thank you to National Lottery players for helping fund the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Camelot said.

The previous record was set on Christmas Eve 2010 when 25 millionaires were created in the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle draw.

In preparation for the draw, the National Lottery has sent out the equivalent of 14 articulated lorry loads of supplies to its network of more than 29,000 retailers.

Camelot said this includes at least 20 million extra entry slips and more than eight million metres of roll ready to be transformed into tickets.

A telephone line for possible winners will be open until midnight tomorrow with four times the usual number of staff ready to take calls.

And a team of winners’ advisors will be stationed around the UK ready to pay out the winnings.

Camelot said private banks have been placed on standby, ready to open accounts for the new millionaires’ accounts.

If no one scoops the jackpot tomorrow, it will roll over to next Tuesday.