Anyone wanting to win the lottery in the Netherlands had better be quick. Just over half a million tickets are available today and shops will shut at 4 p.m.

Four-and-a-half million lottery tickets had been sold for the main prize of 27.5 million euros and the 10-billion-euro jackpot by closing time on Wednesday. Earlier today State Lottery spokesperson David Selier announced it would be a “very busy day”.

At its peak 1000 tickets were being sold per minute between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Four hundred thousand were sold yesterday and the same amount is expected to go across the counter today. For just 30 euros punters can buy the chance to win some of the 83 million euros on offer.

The winners will be announced between 11 p.m. and midnight on Amsterdam’s Museum Square, where the capital’s revellers will gather to see in the New Year.

Photo: State Lottery advert - Flickr/Denkrahm