The Hong Kong Lotteries Board has approved the adoption of a top-up approach for Snowball Draws with effect from January 2002, a spokesman for the Board said today (27 December).

With the top-up approach, a jackpot that has been brought forward from the previous draw will be calculated as part of the Snowball amount and the remaining sum will be covered by the Snowball Pool.

Using the $30 million Chinese New Year Snowball Draw to be held on 8 February as an example, if a Jackpot of, say $5 million is carried over from the 5 February draw, only $25 million will be drawn down from the Snowball Pool to make up the $30 million Chinese New Year Snowball.

Having taken into consideration past records indicating that a carried over jackpot had no significant incremental effect to the total turnover in a Snowball draw, the Board has approved the top-up approach. This will ensure that there is an adequate balance in the Snowball Pool to meet future Snowball Draw commitments, the spokesman added.

The Board may consider increasing the number of Snowball Draws or the Snowball amount should the surplus in the Snowball Pool increase as a result of this change, the spokesman said.

As a result of the change in the Snowball approach, the Lotteries Rules have been revised and will come into effect starting 1 January 2002.

The first Top-up Snowball Draw will be the Chinese New Year Draw, scheduled for 8 February, carrying a Snowball amount of $30 million.