Beat EuroMillions ticket price hike with this clever trick

The cost of playing EuroMillions will be hiked to £2.50 in September. Punters are furious, because to add insult to injury, at the same time, the lottery operators will introduce a new Lucky Star Number, which will make it even harder to win the jackpot.

The good news is that there is a cunning way to get around the price hike.

The price increase has been met with anger from players, who consider a 25% price hike overnight to be completely unreasonable.

The introduction of another Lucky Number (which means you have to pick from 1-12 rather than 1-11) also means that the likelihood of winning has dropped from 1:117 million to 1: 140 million. The Mirror has pointed out that Wayne Rooney is more likely to become the next Prime Minister than you are to win EuroMillions now.

Camelot - one of the ten operators behind the game - has pointed out that this will mean more larger jackpots - and more £1 million pounds prizes. The number of millionaires created by the game each year will double to 208.

What can you do?

You can get around the price rise by playing the game through Lottoland.co.uk. It is freezing its price for EuroMillions at £2. Punters will still be able to pick their numbers for a chance to win the same jackpot: it's just that they'll pay 50p less for the privilege.

It can do this because instead of people playing the game direct, Lottoland lets them bet on the outcome. Players pick their winning numbers, and if they match the draw, they will win the same jackpot as the actual game.

As well as EuroMillions, it lets you choose from 28 other lotteries worldwide - including America's famous Powerball. Occasionally it will also offer specials - such as two EuroMillions bets for the price of one.

Camelot is keen to point out that there is a downside to taking this approach, because, as a spokesperson says: "You don't get any of the wider benefits that EuroMillions offers – the two guaranteed UK millionaires in every draw, the fantastic Mega Weeks at the end of every month, the pan-European raffle events and so on." They also add that by betting on the outcome instead, you're not supporting the National Lottery Good Causes. So you need to weigh up whether these things are worth an extra 50p to you.

Alternatively...

Of course, it's worth pointing out that the odds of winning the jackpot remain incredibly distant, and that the vast majority of people will end up losing. With that in mind, there is always the option of simply not playing the game, and refusing to throw good money after bad.

The problem is that the game has become part of the national psychology now. People have a habit of playing, and many have regular numbers that they play each time, so they feel they cannot risk stopping now - in case they miss out on a prize.

The question is whether you would rather overcome your superstitions and save your money, freeze your outgoings with Lottoland, or take the price rise on the chin in the hope you will make your multi-million pound fortune. What will you do? Let us know in the comments.