10:22am Tuesday 30th January 2001
For millions of people, the chance to win big cash prizes on the national lottery or assorted scratch cards is a dream which they hope will lead to a brighter future.
For Lou Kapsalis it was no different (see page 3).
Just imagine the emotional high he reached as he scratched his ninth matching number on the Three Wishes scratch card.
And just imagine the heartache as he realised the £30,000 promised on the front of the card would only be £18 because he had not read the small print.
For a few moments Mr Kapsalis will have been dreaming of making a better life for his family, perhaps a holiday or a new car, but this was cruelly snatched away.
Okay, there is only a one in 6.7million chance of scooping the jackpot on this particular card but Mr Kapsalis mistake is one which could easily be made by anyone.
The excitement and adrenalin of taking part in the game, whether it is one of the big draws or a scratch card, is all part of the fun, but just imagine the outcry if Chris Tarrent had turned to his first millionaire winner and pointed to a clause in the small print which meant she only won the top prize on a Sunday.
Perhaps it is time to ask Camelot to make the chances of winning its games more visible to the public.
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