More than €1bn invested in prize bonds

The Prize Bond Company today announced that the total amount invested in prize bonds now exceeds €1bn.

At the end of September, the prize bond fund amounted to €1.014bn, an increase of 26% since the beginning of the year.

More than €280m worth of prize bonds bought in the first nine months of the year, exceeding the total value of sales of €279m in 2008 and represents a 54% increase on the same period last year.

Encashment of prize bonds for the first nine months of the year amounted to €73.6m.

"The continued strong growth in sales reflects the national trend of increased household savings," the Prize Bond Company said in a statement.