Playing at 42 is a lottery game similar to Euromillions, but you only need to bet two marks. The jackpot is worth up to 200 million yen (around £13.6 million).
The UK government launched the game in 2015 as a way of encouraging people to gamble – a decision that has been strongly criticised by some groups and politicians.
What is Betting 2 Marks in Game of 42?
The Game of 42 operates in a similar fashion to traditional lotteries, with players making a prediction on the outcome of a set of 42 randomly selected numbers. Two lucky players will then be picked to win the jackpot. The more you play, the better your odds of winning.
The jackpot is split between the two players who win the prize, which is decided by the total number of points obtained during the game. When a player wins the jackpot, they will have an opportunity to choose a cash prize or a luxury car as per usual with a lottery win. You can’t go wrong with a Bugatti Veyron.
How Does It Work?
As the name would suggest, playing at 42 is fairly easy to enter. Simply choose two numbers between 1 and 42, which will determine your two mark stake. A roulette system will then generate two random numbers for you to choose between.
The game is actually a lot more random than it appears. You have a 1 in 42 chance of winning the jackpot, but because there are only ever 42 numbers and because these are randomly selected, the chances of you winning are always going to be the same. If you played seven times and won the jackpot the first time you played, you would have a 1 in 7 chance of winning the jackpot the following six times you played. The odds are heavily stacked against you.
If you played twice a day for a year, you would have around a 1 in 25 chance of winning the jackpot. Of course, that is assuming you don’t play in the bigger games where there are more players, increasing the likelihood of you winning.
Are There Any Benefits?
There are a host of benefits to playing at 42 as opposed to traditional lotteries. The biggest one is that you only need to set two marks down rather than the usual three or four. The minimum stake for a Euromillions-style game is £16, which is far too high a barrier for many people considering the options available to them. Playing at 42 means you have a better chance of hitting the jackpot because there is less competition for the pot.
Even if you set a huge amount of money down, you would only be able to win a fraction of the prizes because there are so many entries. The random draw means that there is always going to be someone who has the same numbers as you, giving you competition for the jackpot. It is possible to win prizes in the other UK lottery games, but you have to play in the bigger lotteries, which means you have to be willing to spend more money. The point is that you are guaranteed to get your money back if you lose, while you have little to no chance of winning if you go wrong with your numbers in a traditional lottery.
Where Can I Play?
You can play Game of 42 at many of the same places you would play a traditional lottery, but because there is less competition for the prize, there is a greater chance of hitting the jackpot. As the game is fairly new, it is likely that not all lotteries will include it in their draw – making it a bit of a hidden gem. There are also specific websites that let you play online, making it much easier for people in different parts of the world to compete.
You’ll find details of the best places to play at at the Government’s Great Britain website – click here for more information.
Who Can Play?
Anyone over 18 years old can play. The UK government, in its wisdom, has decided that the older you are, the better. What could go wrong? With the world’s oldest living teenager, Emma Welch, competing to become the new face of Botox, you’d think they’d reconsidered this logic.
You’ll also find details of the game’s specific entry requirements in the Government’s website. Essentially, you need to fulfil three criteria to be able to enter:
- You must be a UK, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
- You must be 18 years old or over
- You must have a bank account or credit card
If you meet these requirements, you can enter the game with two marks, with 10p being the first stake. You can increase your bet to 20p and 40p with additional tickets, but you have to stake £16 to play in the larger games. You also need to stake £12 if you play in a series of mini games after the main draw.
When Will I Need To Play?
Like other games of chance, you’ll want to play Game of 42 as soon as possible. The odds of you hitting the jackpot increase as the game’s popularity rises. While it’s unclear how popular the game has become, we do know that it is the UK government’s fifth most popular game behind Cash WinWin, Millionaire, Lotto, and Sporty.
According to the bookmakers Betting Ring, you’ll need to play within 30 days to ensure you have a chance of winning. The odds of you hitting the jackpot increase as the game’s popularity rises, so the sooner you play, the better your odds of winning.
How Do I Play?
The best way to play is by downloading a PDF of the game from the Government’s website. Simply follow the onscreen instructions and mark your two selections in the boxes below. Then click on the ‘play’ button.
You will then be taken to a screen where you can see your score. Congratulations, you have just played the Game of 42!
The random numbers will be announced at the end of the month. You’ll need to check your entries to see if you’ve won the jackpot. If you play in the bigger games, you’ll need to wait until the following month to collect your prize.
Won’t The Bank Take It All?
Yes, the Bank will certainly take it all. After all, this is a game of chance, and these sorts of games are always a source of income for the banks. They take a cut of the profits in the form of a commission. However, the banks have devised a strategy to minimise the damage done by these sorts of games. What they do is create credit cards that are specifically designed for this purpose. Essentially, it’s like getting an additional mortgage in the form of a credit card. The more you use the credit card, the more you’ll be able to earn.
Once you’ve played Game of 42, there are several options for you. If you’ve won the jackpot, you can choose a cash prize or a luxury car as usual. However, if you’ve played in the bigger games, you’ll need to take part in a series of matches where you’re able to bet smaller sums. These are known as mini-games, and they’re where the real fun is. You might find it a bit of a challenge, but nothing that betting £16 won’t fix.