Kerala Painter Hits State Lottery Jackpot

A casual yet regular lottery player, the man bought his ticket from a street vendor. Now he hopes the money will make his family’s life a lot better.

Prize Was a Surprise!

A middle-aged Kerala man, identified in media outlets as a painter by the name of Sadanandan, has been lucky enough to win his State’s New Year bumper lottery jackpot. Amounting to a reported 12 crore rupees, the prize money was announced a few hours after he purchased the ticket, the man said.

A resident of the Kudayampadi in Kottayam, not far off Kochi, he admitted to playing the Kerala government lottery for years and fairly regularly. This time, the man was overjoyed, the purchase was more instinctive rather than planned, as he was looking to change a Rs 500 note before going to the meat stall.

Government-run lotteries remain very popular across the Union, as about half of all states allow or administer their own draws. Widespread internet access, however, has made buying lottery tickets online a convenient alternative for many. Younger generations and busy working users, in particular, have grown aware of the flexible options and attractive jackpots (from around the world) that online lottery retail offers.

But in this case, at least, the man was rewarded for his old-fashioned choice of picking up a paper ticket at his local agent across the street (cited as Selvan). Bought in the morning, the stub brought its owner the unexpected riches that same afternoon as the draw results were announced later on Sunday, January 16.

Sadanandan is now planning to literally change the course of his life. Clearing some family debt, building a better house and setting aside funds for his children’s future are the honest ambitions of the man, quoted in the press. With the amount in question that should not be a problem, albeit with some long-term planning.

Legal Lotteries Moving to the Online Space

Lotteries remain India’s top pick among real-money games, a market research study confirms.  Draws operated by State governments are the obvious choice for traditional lottery lovers but their popularity has been challenged by online lotteries.

Many high-profile platforms sell tickets from some of the leading global lotteries on the market, from American to European or Australian. Those may cost a few rupees more but have astounding jackpots and draws that are much more regular than Indian State lotteries. All of that could now be done from the palm of one’s hand or office computer, or while cooking a family meal with the tablet nearby.

Naturally, many consumers will take a few more years to get used to such distribution options. Despite the notable digitization of the domestic market, affordable internet coverage and mobile banking solutions are not yet a reality for the entire population of Bharat. But the trend seems irreversible to market experts and most studies project online lotteries to double in size in the next 4-5 years, both globally and in India.