Thiruvonam Bumper: ₹25-crore first prize of mega lottery in Kerala goes to ticket sold in Palakkad

Kerala's Thiruvonam Bumper lottery has awarded its ₹25-crore first prize to ticket number TE 230662, sold by Bava Agency in kozhikode. This year's lottery had 85 lakh tickets, a record for the department, with a prize structure of ₹20 crore for the second prize and ₹50 lakh each for the third prize. Established in 1967, the first ticket cost ₹1 and had a first prize of ₹50,000. Efforts are under way to trace the winner.

The keenly-awaited ₹25-crore first prize of the Thiruvonam Bumper lottery in Kerala has gone to ticket number TE 230662. The ticket was reportedly sold by Kozhikode-based Bava Agency, Palayam, at Walayar in Palakkad. At the time of filing this report, efforts were on trace the winner.

The State Lotteries department, which operates the Thiruvonam Bumper, had printed 85 lakh tickets this year (2023). Of this, 75,76,096 tickets were sold, which is a record for the department.

The department had increased the prize money for this lottery from ₹12 crore to ₹25 crore last year. The ticket was priced at ₹500.

This year, the department had revamped the prize structure for making the lottery more attractive to buyers. The second prize carried ₹20 crore, to be divided equally (₹ 1 crore each) among 20 winners. The third prize promises ₹ 50 lakh each to 20 winners.

It was in 1967 that the Kerala government established a department for the conduct of paper lotteries. The very first lottery ticket cost ₹1 and carried a first prize of ₹50,000.