The jackpot for the Toto Hongbao draw today has been reduced to $8 million from last year's $12 million.
A Singapore Pools spokesman said this was done to better manage the anticipated queues at outlets selling the tickets, in consideration of the health and safety of customers and staff.
As there were no winners in the last Toto draw, on Monday, the jackpot has snowballed to a $9.6 million prize for the Hong-bao draw.
A security supervisor, who declined to be named, has been placing Toto bets since the lottery started in 1968. This year, he was planning to spend $200 each at three outlets in Hougang and Kovan.
When asked what he would do with the prize money if he won, he said he would set up his own business and invest in stocks and insurance plans.
The lower prize money did not stop punters from forming snaking queues at Singapore Pools outlets visited by The Straits Times yesterday. There were long queues at the Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun and Bishan outlets.
At Tong Aik Huat in Hougang, an authorised retailer famous for selling Toto tickets with some of the largest jackpot wins in Singapore history, the queue stretched down the road and around the HDB blocks.
At the Block 726 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 outlet, ST saw more than 40 punters in the line between 11am and 11.30am. One of them, who wanted to be known only as Madam Vivien, felt buying Toto tickets at the outlet was still safe.
"Everyone is wearing masks and not talking to each other. We are also spaced out. So, I think it is okay," the 70-year-old said.
At the Yishun outlet, punters said the queue, though long, was moving fast, and it took them only about five minutes to buy the tickets.
By and large, most punters were seen to be adhering to the social distancing measures. Singapore Pools has hired additional staff to help manage crowds during this period, and they could be seen reminding punters to maintain the required distance from one another.
Though online betting services are available, many find it difficult to navigate these platforms.
A Hougang resident, who wanted to be known only as Mr Cai, said he had been betting for more than 53 years, and the online platform was inconvenient for the elderly, who may not be familiar with setting up a Singapore Pools account.
"I am old already, and I don't know how to use the website. My friends and I like to gather at the neighbourhood to catch up, so I prefer to buy at the outlets," said Mr Cai, 70.
The results of the draw will be announced at 9.30pm tonight.
