Various business owners believe that whenever the Super 5 lottery reaches a jackpot of over a million euros, this causes people to buy less daily necessities. They cited their own dwindling sales as the proof that they need.
Meanwhile, lawyer Joe Mifsud, in a post on Facebook, has called for the introduction of a €1m cap to deter people from overspending at the expense of looking after their families. He wrote: “Members of Parliament, don’t allow our society to keep tearing itself apart. We have those among us who do not have enough food for their family. Only you seem to be oblivious to this reality. The Super 5 has again not been won. Now legislate a maximum cap of €1 million. I am writing this in the name of those children this morning who were not given milk for breakfast, bread without ham and instead of a hearty meal, given pastizzi. Ask the merchants, ask the shops. Take action, give a Christmas present to the Maltese people”.
As a result, this newsroom did just that, went around shops, minimarkets and grocery stores and asked a few questions.
One mini market owner said that sales thus far over the Christmas period are definitely down, citing the Super 5 lottery as the problem.
A greengrocer said that although sales are up, a perception that the Super 5 causes a reduction in every day goods sales does exist.
A butcher shop owner said that while the shop itself is doing fine, their factory that provides meats and hams to supermarkets has seen a slowdown recently.
When asked how many tickets were bought for the last Super 5 draw, how many tickets each week were bought since November, and whether the 1.5 million Jackpot is expected to be surpassed, Maltco said “Unfortunately, we do not provide such statistics. As for the Jackpot, this would depend on the sales occurring on the week”.
A number of lotto booths said that they expect an influx of ticket sales as the next draw looms.
A Caritas representative, when contacted, said that “when the Super 5 jackpot reaches a high amount, there are more requests for support for people with gambling problems”.