Oppies got join the queue?
SINGAPORE – Snaking lines were spotted at Singapore Pools outlets on Friday morning as punters placed final bets before the $12 million Toto Hong Bao Draw is conducted at 9.30pm.
Though this year’s top prize is less than last year’s $19 million, the prospect of landing a potential life-changing windfall is still alluring to many punters The Straits Times spoke to.
A line of 30 people had formed by 9.30am at the Singapore Pools branch in Toa Payoh Central. Among them was Mr David Soh, who said it is a “lucky” outlet for him because he had bought 4D tickets there previously and had made money.
Last year, a ticket purchased from the outlet was among the eight that shared the Hong Bao Draw jackpot prize.
Mr Soh, 66, an author, added that if he landed the big prize, he would invest part of it and donate the returns to charity. He would also use some of the money for a proposed trip to the United States in 2024.
Another punter in line was Ms Marchia Guinilac, 45, a retail assistant. The Filipino said she would use the jackpot prize to buy a small farm and fund charities in the Philippines.
At the Singapore Pools branch in Toa Payoh Lorong 1, around 15 punters were in line to place their bets at 11am.
Ms Monique Holdorff, 37, a private English tutor, said she would use the jackpot prize to support her three children in areas such as education.
Visiting the outlet near her home to place around $120 in bets for her husband and his friends who pooled their money together, the Singaporean bought a variety of Toto ticket types to widen the winning chances.
Ms Zita Ng, 34, spent about $15 on Hong Bao Draw and Singapore Sweep bets. The latter, whose top prize is $2.3 million, is another lottery game run by the Singapore Pools.
Saying she is not a regular Singapore Pools customer, the nurse added that she decided to try her luck because of the Chinese New Year festivities and would buy a condo if she became a multimillionaire.
The outlets close at 9pm and punters can check the winning Toto numbers at
https://www.singaporepools.com.sg/en/product/pages/toto_results.aspx
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-up-to-12-million-toto-hong-bao-draw-at-930pm