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A new paradise for crypto

A new paradise for crypto

Economist24-07-2025
In Ian Fleming's 1961 novel, 'Thunderball', Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond's archenemy, considers the bolívar, along with the Swiss franc, to be the 'hardest' of all the world's currencies, an ideal store of value for the takings of his criminal enterprise. This fictional depiction accurately reflected contemporary economics. Between 1950 and 1980, Venezuela had the lowest rate of inflation in the world.
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EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause
EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause

Scotsman

time6 hours ago

  • Scotsman

EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause

£145million is up for grabs in tonight's Euromillions draw | submit This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. The EuroMillions jackpot is £145m tonight, just before the National Lottery suspends ticket sales and payouts for a 36-hour upgrade Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The EuroMillions jackpot has climbed to £145 million for tonight's draw, just hours before the National Lottery shuts down ticket sales and prize claims for a major technology upgrade. From 11pm on Saturday 3 August, all draw-based game entries and in-store prize claims will be suspended across the UK for around 36 hours, with services expected to resume on Monday morning. The National Lottery app and website will also go offline during the pause, which is being described by operator Allwyn as the biggest system upgrade in its 31-year history. Players hoping to take part in this weekend's Lotto or Thunderball draws, or check results, are being urged to act before Saturday night's deadline. Scratchcards will remain available in shops, and results will still be viewable on YouTube. Customers can also still access lottery syndicate services such as You Play We Play. Tonight's £145 million EuroMillions jackpot is already generating huge interest. It comes just months after the prize pot reached its record-breaking £208 million cap. If there is no winner this evening, the jackpot could roll over again and edge closer to that maximum once more. For players looking to boost their odds without relying on last-minute shop visits or digital access, syndicate services such as You Play We Play (available via Wowcher) remain unaffected by the temporary shutdown. These third-party platforms allow users to join managed groups and enter hundreds of official National Lottery lines per draw, with any prizes shared between members. While syndicates do not guarantee a win, they offer significantly more entries for a lower cost. Tickets are purchased in advance, which means they are unaffected by this weekend's suspension. Book your syndicate lines now through Wowcher here. This article was produced with the help of AI tools to assist with sourcing and structuring information. All content has been reviewed and verified by a National World journalist before publication. National World Play Euromillions with 500 lines and 500 Millionaires Raffle tickets £ 9.00 Buy now Buy now If you're dreaming of one of those huge European jackpots, the Wowcher Euromillions syndicate deal is hard to beat. For just £9, you'll get an incredible 500 Euromillions syndicate lines plus 500 genuine Millionaires Raffle tickets. All tickets are official National Lottery entries, bought and managed by You Play We Play, so you're not betting — you're really playing. By joining a 50-person syndicate, you massively increase your chances of winning while sharing the fun and the prizes with your group. The draws happen every Tuesday and Friday, giving you two shots each week at jackpots that can top £200 million. Ready to aim for life-changing winnings? Join your discounted Euromillions syndicate here If you're worried about how gambling makes you feel, you can find free, confidential advice, tools and support, by visiting GambleAware or contacting the National Gambling Helpline, available 24/7, on 0808 8020 133 Play Set for Life with 500 lines for steady wins £ 7.50 Buy now Buy now If you like the idea of a regular monthly payout over a giant jackpot, Wowcher's Set for Life syndicate deal is perfect. This offer gives you 500 Set for Life lines in a 50-person syndicate, entered into Monday and Thursday draws. Each line could win you (and your syndicate) a steady income-style prize, and because you're part of a group with 500 entries, your odds are much better than playing solo. Like all the other deals, the tickets are official National Lottery entries — no betting, no hassle, just real chances to win and support good causes. At only £7.50, this is a budget-friendly way to join the fun. Sign up for your Set for Life syndicate here If you're worried about how gambling makes you feel, you can find free, confidential advice, tools and support, by visiting GambleAware or contacting the National Gambling Helpline, available 24/7, on 0808 8020 133

EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause
EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause

Scotsman

time7 hours ago

  • Scotsman

EuroMillions £145m draw tonight before National Lottery system pause

£145million is up for grabs in tonight's Euromillions draw | submit This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. The EuroMillions jackpot is £145m tonight, just before the National Lottery suspends ticket sales and payouts for a 36-hour upgrade Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The EuroMillions jackpot has climbed to £145 million for tonight's draw, just hours before the National Lottery shuts down ticket sales and prize claims for a major technology upgrade. From 11pm on Saturday 3 August, all draw-based game entries and in-store prize claims will be suspended across the UK for around 36 hours, with services expected to resume on Monday morning. The National Lottery app and website will also go offline during the pause, which is being described by operator Allwyn as the biggest system upgrade in its 31-year history. Players hoping to take part in this weekend's Lotto or Thunderball draws, or check results, are being urged to act before Saturday night's deadline. Scratchcards will remain available in shops, and results will still be viewable on YouTube. Customers can also still access lottery syndicate services such as You Play We Play. Tonight's £145 million EuroMillions jackpot is already generating huge interest. It comes just months after the prize pot reached its record-breaking £208 million cap. If there is no winner this evening, the jackpot could roll over again and edge closer to that maximum once more. For players looking to boost their odds without relying on last-minute shop visits or digital access, syndicate services such as You Play We Play (available via Wowcher) remain unaffected by the temporary shutdown. These third-party platforms allow users to join managed groups and enter hundreds of official National Lottery lines per draw, with any prizes shared between members. While syndicates do not guarantee a win, they offer significantly more entries for a lower cost. Tickets are purchased in advance, which means they are unaffected by this weekend's suspension. Book your syndicate lines now through Wowcher here. This article was produced with the help of AI tools to assist with sourcing and structuring information. All content has been reviewed and verified by a National World journalist before publication. National World Play Euromillions with 500 lines and 500 Millionaires Raffle tickets £ 9.00 Buy now Buy now If you're dreaming of one of those huge European jackpots, the Wowcher Euromillions syndicate deal is hard to beat. For just £9, you'll get an incredible 500 Euromillions syndicate lines plus 500 genuine Millionaires Raffle tickets. All tickets are official National Lottery entries, bought and managed by You Play We Play, so you're not betting — you're really playing. By joining a 50-person syndicate, you massively increase your chances of winning while sharing the fun and the prizes with your group. The draws happen every Tuesday and Friday, giving you two shots each week at jackpots that can top £200 million. Ready to aim for life-changing winnings? Join your discounted Euromillions syndicate here If you're worried about how gambling makes you feel, you can find free, confidential advice, tools and support, by visiting GambleAware or contacting the National Gambling Helpline, available 24/7, on 0808 8020 133

Why National Lottery will do 36-hour pause this weekend
Why National Lottery will do 36-hour pause this weekend

South Wales Argus

time8 hours ago

  • South Wales Argus

Why National Lottery will do 36-hour pause this weekend

All draw game sales and prize claims will be paused in shops across the UK from 11pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws until 'late Monday morning', operator Allwyn said. The National Lottery website and app will also be down over the same period. Why will National Lottery be down for 36 hours this weekend? The National Lottery will be down this weekend for 36 hours so that the biggest technology upgrade in the game's 31-year history can take place. 📣 Important announcement 📣 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 30, 2025 Can you still buy tickets for this weekend? Allwyn advised players to buy draw tickets, check results and claim prizes before 11pm on Saturday and warned that they would not be able to log into their online accounts, buy draw tickets or claim prizes in-store or online until Monday, August 4. Players will be able to check results until systems go offline and will still be able to buy Scratchcards. They will also be able to see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel. During the pause, Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms. However, it warned that a 'small proportion' of in-store terminals could experience delays coming back up if certain upgrade processes are interrupted for various reasons. You read that right! SIX millionaires were made on Lotto in just ONE week*! 🤯 *Between 23rd – 26th July#NationalLottery #WillYouBeTheNextMillionaire — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 28, 2025 The Czech-based Allwyn group which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed to be modernised to deliver on 'ambitious' plans for a National Lottery 'fit for the future'. Allwyn chief executive Andria Vidler said: 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver The National Lottery that the UK deserves. 'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK. 'These major upgrades will mean short-term disruption for players and our retail partners but they will allow us to deliver on our promise to bring new, exciting games, a better player experience and our commitment to double returns to Good Causes from £30 million to £60 million every week by the end of the 10-year licence.' The switchover has been delayed after Allwyn took over the licence which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. Since 1994, National Lottery players have helped shape the story of British sport by raising over £6BN for grassroots projects. Thank you 💙#NationalLottery #ThanksToYou #WEURO2025 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 27, 2025 It was unable to switch to a new technology provider after agreeing to extend the contract for the existing supplier, International Games Technology (IGT). IGT had challenged the Gambling Commission's decision to award Allwyn the 10-year licence in court but later dropped the legal action. Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence. However, the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets. Recommended reading: Which National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend? The following National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend: Set For Life – Thursday, July 31 Euromillions – Friday, August 1 Euromillions Hotpicks - Friday, August 1 Thunderball - Friday, August 1 Lotto – Saturday, August 2 Lotto Hotpicks - Saturday, August 2 You can also play Instant Win games or buy Scratchcards.

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