The Kerala state government owns and operates the Kerala lottery department through the Directorate of State Lotteries. The Kerala lottery department was established in 1967 under the Lottery Regulation Act to provide employment and generate revenue for the state government. The department currently operates seven weekly lotteries and six bumper lotteries.
How did the Kerala state lottery start?
The Kerala state lottery has an interesting origin story. In 1967, the second Communist ministry led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad decided to start a lottery scheme to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed youth in the state. At the time, the unemployment rate in Kerala was very high at over 30%.
A talented cartoonist, P.K. Dawood, was appointed as the first Director of State Lotteries. He is credited with conceptualizing and designing the first Kerala lottery ticket. The first draw was held on November 1, 1967 and the first prize was worth Rs 50,000. 1 lakh tickets were printed for the inaugural lottery draw.
Initially, the lottery draws were conducted using a manual draw of lots method. Later, the draws shifted to using electronic machines and computerized systems. Over the decades, the Kerala state lottery evolved into a robust lottery system offering a variety of games.
Objectives of the Kerala state lottery
The Kerala lottery system was started with two key objectives:
- Provide employment opportunities for the educated unemployed youth in Kerala
- Generate revenue for welfare activities of the state government
In the initial years, the Kerala lottery system succeeded tremendously in providing livelihood for thousands of youth through lottery ticket sales. Even today, the Kerala lottery continues to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities for lakhs of people in the state.
The Kerala lottery also generates significant revenue for the state government. As per official records, the Kerala State Lotteries earned a profit of Rs. 15832 crores between 1967 to April 2022. The revenue is utilized by the Government of Kerala for various welfare projects.
Types of Kerala lottery games
Over the decades, the Kerala lottery department has introduced many different types of lottery games. Here are the major Kerala lottery games currently active:
- Pournami Lottery – Draw held every Sunday
- Win-Win Lottery – Draw held every Monday
- Sthree Sakthi Lottery – Draw held every Tuesday
- Akshaya Lottery – Draw held every Wednesday
- Karunya Plus Lottery – Draw held every Thursday
- Nirmal Lottery – Draw held every Friday
- Karunya Lottery – Draw held every Saturday
These weekly lotteries have ticket prices ranging from Rs. 30 to Rs. 50. Each lottery has prize money from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 80 lakhs for the first prize winner.
Apart from the weekly games, the Kerala lottery also offers 6 bumper draws throughout the year. The bumper lotteries have much higher prize money ranging from Rs. 5 crores to Rs. 12 crores for the first prize.
How to play the Kerala state lottery?
Playing the Kerala lottery games is easy and accessible to anyone within Kerala. Here are the steps to play:
- Lottery tickets are available from over 35,000 authorized retailers across Kerala. Find your nearest agent.
- Choose the lottery game you wish to play and buy the ticket before the draw.
- Check the ticket carefully for the game, draw date, serial number etc.
- Tune in or check online for the lottery draw results.
- Match your ticket numbers with the winning numbers.
- If you win a prize, submit your ticket to an authorized lottery agent or lottery office.
- Prizes below Rs. 5000 can be claimed from agents. Larger prizes must be claimed from lottery offices.
Kerala lottery draws are conducted at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram. The results are published on the Kerala Lottery Results official website and leading newspapers.
Kerala lottery draw process
The Kerala lottery draws follow a defined process to ensure fair and transparent results. Here are some key points about the lottery draw process:
- The draws are conducted using certified electronic draw machines at the studio in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Government officials, observers and media are present to witness the draw process.
- The draw process is recorded and can be viewed online after the results are announced.
- The results are published online and in media within a short time after the draw.
- The winning tickets undergo verification and validation before prize payouts.
The Kerala state lottery department has established rigorous control measures to ensure complete fairness, integrity and transparency of the lottery draws and results.
What is the Kerala Lottery online play and purchase policy?
The Kerala state government has explicitly prohibited the online sale and purchase of Kerala lottery tickets. In October 2020, the Kerala High Court reiterated that online play of Kerala lotteries violates the Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998.
As per the Kerala lottery department rules:
- Lottery tickets can only be purchased from authorized offline retail agents in Kerala state.
- Online purchase, sale or play of Kerala lottery tickets is illegal.
- Lottery prizes must be claimed offline by submitting the physical ticket.
- Prize winners must hail from Kerala or neighboring states where Kerala lotteries are sold.
The Kerala government maintains that online lottery play can enable gambling, money laundering and other irregular activities. Offline ticket purchase also helps generate employment for lakhs of lottery agents in the state.
Are there legal concerns around Kerala lottery?
While Kerala lottery operations are legal within the state, there are some legalities involved for players from other states:
- As per the Lottery Regulation Act 1998, Kerala lotteries can only be sold in Kerala, along with neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa where it is legal.
- However, people from other states occasionally manage to purchase Kerala lottery tickets due to porous borders.
- Playing or buying the Kerala lottery from other Indian states where it is banned, is illegal.
- There are also legal restrictions around online purchase, sale or promotion of Kerala state lottery.
- Prize winners must provide valid identification and address proof from Kerala or neighboring states to claim prizes.
The Kerala High Court has directed the lottery department and cyber cell to monitor and crackdown on any agents or websites illegally offering online purchase of Kerala lottery tickets. Legal experts advise players to purchase tickets only from authorized offline outlets.
What is the role of technology in the Kerala state lottery?
Technology plays a key role across multiple aspects of the Kerala lottery system:
- Printing: Lottery tickets are printed at a high security government press using technical systems and paper to prevent duplication or tampering.
- Draw Process: Electronic draw machines are used to select winning numbers in a random, unbiased manner under CCTV surveillance.
- Result Publishing: Lottery results are published online on the official website using IT systems for quick dissemination.
- Counterfoils: Digitally scanned counterfoils help instantly verify prize winning tickets.
- Claim Processing: Online systems help speed up prize claim processing and disbursal to winners.
- Data Analytics: Technology enables analysis of ticket sales and draws to identify trends.
Adopting technology has enabled the Kerala state lottery operations to become more efficient, transparent and user-friendly over the years.
What is the revenue contribution of Kerala state lottery?
The Kerala lottery generates significant revenue for the state government through sale of lottery tickets. Some key facts about Kerala lottery revenue:
- In 2021-22, the Kerala State Lotteries achieved a sales turnover of Rs. 15,024 crores and a profit of Rs. 1,096 crores.
- Between 1967 to April 2022, the overall revenue generated through lottery ticket sales is Rs. 58,824 crores.
- The Kerala lottery contributes close to 10% of the total annual revenue of the Kerala state government.
- The revenue is used for education, health, infrastructure, social welfare schemes covering over 35 lakh people.
- As per budget 2022-23, the expected revenue from lotteries is Rs. 11,812 crores.
The Kerala lottery revenue represents a crucial source of funds for the state’s development and public welfare programs.
Kerala State Lottery Revenue Data
| Year | Revenue (in crores) |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 15,024 |
| 2020-21 | 11,739 |
| 2019-20 | 15,201 |
| 2018-19 | 14,953 |
| 2017-18 | 12,567 |
What is the Kerala lottery employee fraud scandal?
In 2019, a major fraud scandal involving Kerala state lottery employees was unearthed. Some key facts:
- Certain lottery employees colluded with external entities to fraudulently claim lottery prize money.
- The scam involved tampering of prize winning paper lottery tickets.
- Fraudulent claims were made over several years causing losses of crores to the government.
- A crime branch investigation found involvement of over a dozen lottery employees in the scam.
- Several employees were arrested including the Director of Kerala State Lotteries.
- The Kerala High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the lottery scam.
The employee lottery scam dented the reputation of the Kerala lottery system. Stricter control measures have now been implemented for lottery operations and draw process.
What is the impact of Kerala lottery on social welfare?
The Kerala lottery has had a positive impact on social welfare in the following ways:
- Supported education of lakhs of students by funding school construction, uniforms, textbooks etc.
- Contributed to healthcare by supporting hospitals, medicines, vaccines and programs covering 35 lakh people.
- Provided assistance of Rs. 3000-5000 per month to around 60,000 poor families.
- Funded water supply projects providing safe drinking water.
- Supported sanitation, housing and infrastructure projects in rural areas.
- Provided financial aid to elderly citizens with monthly pensions.
- Enabled empowerment of women through loans and vocational training.
Since its inception, the Kerala state lottery has supported a wide spectrum of social welfare initiatives targeted at education, health, poverty alleviation, infrastructure development and more.
What are some major Kerala lottery wins?
Here are some notable all-time biggest Kerala lottery prize wins:
- Sreeja – Won 12 crores in Onam bumper 2021.
- Anoop – Won Rs 10 crores in Christmas-New Year Bumper 2021.
- Dhanam – Won Rs 8 crores in Vishu Bumper 2021.
- Anandhu – Won Rs. 7 crores in Pooja Bumper 2015.
- Abdul Nazer – Won Rs 6.5 crores in Thiruvonam Bumper 2017.
- Money was won in Nirmal lottery in 2016.
- Sreejith – Won Rs 5 crore in Christmas bumper in 2021.
- Jaya – Won Rs 5 crore in Pooja Bumper 2013.
These wins represent life-changing amounts for the lucky winners. The bumper lotteries offer the biggest prize money worth crores of Rupees.
What is the future outlook of Kerala state lottery?
The Kerala lottery has strong socio-economic roots and seems poised to continue its success in the long term. Some factors favoring future growth:
- Kerala government’s continued support and new lottery game innovations.
- High public participation and trust in the lottery system.
- Welfare benefits to Kerala public through lottery revenue.
- Increased use of technology and security features for efficiency.
- Growing Kerala economy, population and literacy rates.
- Popularity of lotteries for entertainment and among socio-economically weaker sections.
While challenges like revenue leakage and competition from other states exist, the Kerala lottery seems strategically positioned for a bright future.
Conclusion
The Kerala state lottery has come a long way since starting off in 1967 to now operating as a major revenue source supporting socio-economic welfare. Managed by the Directorate of State Lotteries under the Government of Kerala, the lottery system offers seven weekly games and six bumper draws. The Kerala lottery generates sizeable revenue while providing entertainment and employment opportunities. Operational aspects like ticket sales, draws, results and prize claims involve extensive regulations and technology integration. In spite of certain controversies, the Kerala lottery has had an overall positive impact. With strong government support, brand reputation and public demand, the Kerala state lottery appears set to flourish going forward.