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STAFF REPORTER DESPITE the economic crisis, people on Minorca are jointly spending half a million euros more on the Christmas lottery than in 2009, the State Lottery Administration (ONLAE) confirmed yesterday.

A spokesman said that 186'545 “decimos” (a complete ticket which can be bought in fractions of ten) were made available to Minorca which means that the State Lottery stands to rake in 3'730'900 euros from their sale. The figure means that every person living on Minorca has the chance to spend an average of 39.7 euros on tickets.

ONLAE said that the amount was half a million euros more than Christmas 2009 which was apparently one of the most lacklustre years on record in terms of lottery ticket sales.

The spokesman said that the increased number of tourists to Minorca and the fact that lottery kiosks are set up with growing frequency at clubs and associations around the island mean that more people are buying “on the offchance.” Elsewhere in the Balearics, the average spend per person on the Christmas lottery is similarly expected to be around 39.7 euros.