Eamonn Holmes Fronts Biggest Brand Launch This Decade The Health Lottery Set to give £50 Million to Local Health Causes

LONDON, September 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

First Draw on ITV1 and Channel 5, October 8th 2011

- Exciting new draw-based lottery game has one single good cause - health

- Top prize of up to £100,000 for matching any 5 numbers from 50 correctly  

- Saturday night draw on ITV1 and Channel 5 presented by Eamonn Holmes

- Available to play at over 40,000 retailers across Great Britain, and online

- Biggest brand launch of this decade

- Tickets on-sale Thursday 29th September 2011

- Full details at http://www.healthlottery.co.uk

The Health Lottery, an exciting new draw-based lottery game with a top prize of up to £100,000 has launched today with the aim of generating an estimated £50 million annually to support local health related good causes. The launch was hosted by Eamonn Holmes, who will front the live draw to be shown on ITV1 and Channel 5 each Saturday from 8^th October.

Speaking about his involvement with The Health Lottery, he said: "It's such a great idea, I am really excited about being part of something that not only makes people smile every week, but also has the ability to change lives in the longer term. Maintaining good health in our communities is of paramount importance. The Health Lottery is a chance to address some of the health issues that are on all of our doorsteps.  A huge amount of wonderful work is already undertaken every day in every community to help improve the quality of life for the elderly, to give carers a break or funding support to families affected by dementia.  In these difficult economic times, The Health Lottery will inject a sizeable amount of new money into that local network, and the projects that are supported will help people live longer, healthier lives."

The fun new lottery provides an easy to understand prize structure with a top prize of £100,000. Costing only £1, players simply choose 5 numbers from 50 to enter. Ticket holders matching all five numbers correctly will scoop a top prize of up to £100,000, a life changing amount for most people. Matching 3 numbers correctly wins £50, enough for a good night, out whilst matching only four numbers from 50 wins £500! What's more, no prizes are shared. No matter how many people win, everyone will get the advertised prize, all details are available at http://www.healthlottery.co.uk.

The premise of The Health Lottery is that 20p from each £1 ticket purchased goes to support local health-related good causes. Money raised by The Health Lottery is channelled into carefully selected community focused initiatives across every area of Great Britain. These initiatives are endorsed by the People's Health Trust and its independent board of acknowledged experts, chaired by Professor Jennie Popay. Ticket sales projections indicate that the game will generate £50 million a year for health related good causes.

John Hume, Chief Executive, the People's Health Trust, said: "We will be working directly with communities to identify practival and sustainable ways in which funding from The Health Lottery can have real impacts on health and well-being in communities experiencing signigicant disadvantages."

Martin Hall, Chief Executive of The Health Lottery said: "The Health Lottery game is a fresh new alternative which has one single good cause at its heart - health. We will be offering people the opportunity to win a life-changing amount of money while at the same time contributing to tackling real health issues in their own communities. It is an exciting new launch which will benefit every community in Great Britain."

Backed by Northern & Shell, The Health Lottery will be supported by the biggest nation wide launch of this decade and an initial investment if £20M in marketing. By the time the first draw takes place, 98% of all adults will have seen The Health Lottery advertised at least 28 times. 1 in 5 outdoor sites have been booked for the launch period and the field sales activation program is one of the biggest seen in recent years.

The Health Lottery is available to play at more than 40,000 outlets across Great Britain including WHSmith, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Tesco and Asda, as well as independent retailers and online at http://www.healthlottery.co.uk

Editor's Notes

The Health Lottery is a brand new draw-based game where money raised goes to support a singular and popular cause: Health.

The Health Lottery's game structure is straightforward, easy to play and prizes are not shared. Players can win from £50 for 3 balls, £500 for 4, through to a top prize of up to £100,000 for matching all 5 numbers from 50.

Tickets cost just £1 and can be purchased online and through electronic payment terminals at 40,000 retailers across Great Britain, including all leading multiple grocers along with 1000s of independent retailers up and down the country.

Money raised will be spent helping support community health related good causes across Great Britain, helping everyone live longer healthier lives.

The top prize is up to £100,000. The up to is there in case the money raised doesn't cover the full prize payout, although the probability of that happening has been calculated as just once in every 200 years.

The Health Lottery is operated for and on behalf of 51 local lottery areas across England, Wales and Scotland, each holding society lottery licenses granted by the Gambling Commission.

For more information, please visit http://www.healthlottery.co.uk

Players must be 16 or over to play or claim a prize and to play online you will need a GB registered bank account and GB address.

The Health Lottery is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission (license no 000-026057-R-309179)

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SOURCE The Health Lottery