A council is giving its residents a chance to win big with a new online lottery game offering a jackpot of £25,000, with profits going to good causes.

Tickets for the online Dover District Lotto cost £1 and go on sale from today.

There is a chance to win £25,000 for matching six numbers, £2,000 for matching five, £250 for four, and £25 for three.

Local good causes will receive 60p for every £1 spent.

Players can choose which group they want to support using a list when they play.

That organisation will directly receive 50pm and another 10p will go to increase he amount of funding available for Dover District Council’s annual Community Grants programme.

Alternatively, players can select for the 60p to go to the programme.

The council has already supported 32 local groups through the Community Grants scheme in 2018/19, ranging from Deal, Walmer & Kingsdown Amateur Rowing Club and Elvington Village Hall, to Blackfish Academy for the Performing Arts in Dover, Shepherdswell & Coldred History Society, and Ash Toddler Group.

Tickets for the lottery will only be available for purchase online, and can be bought for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, paying monthly or in a one-off payment.

Cllr MJ Holloway, the councils' cabinet member for community services, said: “We hope that the new Dover District Lotto will increase residents’ participation in worthy causes across the district, and at the same time raise the profile of our community groups that do such a fantastic job.

"Lotto players will have the chance to win big prizes, as well as provide a real boost to local community groups giving the groups a new regular income stream as part of their fundraising efforts.”

The first draw will take place on Saturday, March 2, and will then take place weekly on Saturdays and can be played by going to www.doverlotto.com

Once local causes get their share a remaining 20p in the ticket price is used for cash prizes and the last 20p is for running costs and VAT.

Dover District Council has issued a list of charities selected to benefit from the new lottery and more will be added.

They at present include the Dover District Council Community Grant Scheme, Sandwich Community Lights Committee, Sandwich in Bloom, The Friends of Dover Castle, Dover smART Project, and Dover Youth Theatre.

Others are Skill Horizons, the physical and mental well being group Take Off, Home Start, Astor Community Arts Trust, Sandwich Folk and Ale Festival, Shepherdswell Cricket Club, and the Busy Bees Preschool.

In addition there are Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Amateur Rowing Club, Dover Athletics and Running Club, Age Concern Sandwich Centre for the Retired, Elvington and Eythorne Heritage Group, Kent Miners' Festival and Pegasus Playscheme.

The full list, with updates, can be found on the web page doverlotto.com/support/find-a-good-cause