The National Lottery draw has had to be changed because the Irish public regards the current minimum jackpot of €1.3 million as inadequate and out of step with rising levels of prosperity, the director of the company has claimed.
From this week, the cost of a National Lottery ticket rises from €1 to €1.50, with extra numbers added to the draw thereby lengthening the odds and making sure there are fewer multiple winners.
The first draw with the additional numbers - 43, 44, 45 - takes place this weekend. From now on, the minimum jackpot will rise from €1.3 to €2 million.
Dermot Griffin, director of the National Lottery, told The Irish Times: "A million euro doesn't cut it any more."
He said players of the games were pointing to changed economic circumstances, and this had hit lottery sales.
"Our lottery sales over the last number of years have been declining somewhat. An issue for us is the rise in house prices and the fact that people's standards of living have risen so much," he explained.
Mr Griffin said the early enthusiasm associated with the lottery, which started in 1987, needed to be rekindled and people wanted prizes that would truly change their lives financially.
"Lottery are about people's dreams. 'I buy this ticket on a Saturday - and sod them on Monday, because I don't have to work anymore if I win this thing.' That is the sort of thing we need to get back to," he remarked.
Mr Griffin, who succeeded Ray Bates as director of the organisation, also revealed that plans to offer the National Lottery's various games online and via mobile phones were well-advanced.
He said safeguards to prevent manipulation of the games, and measures to exclude under-18s, were being perfected, and once these were completed the historical decision would be made. The UK lottery recently went online for the first time.
"It's not our core business at this particular point in time, and we are mindful of making sure that we are the tightest we can be in terms of safeguards. But it is part of our plans, so at the right time we will go for it."
At present, the main point of distribution for the lottery is through 3,500 newsagents throughout the Republic. They work off a 6 per cent commission on sales figure.