UK Lottery: Results, Winning Numbers, & Fun Facts!

About the UK Lottery

Those old enough might remember the very first National Lottery draw in the United Kingdom. Hosted by Noel Edmonds, the draw was televised on 19 November 1994, with seven winners sharing the £5,874,778 jackpot prize. Today, the National Lottery runs a number of other popular lottery games alongside the flagship Lotto, including EuroMillions, Set For Life, and Thunderball.

The money from each lottery ticket sold in the UK is split between a few different areas. Around half of the total revenue is returned to players as prize money, and approximately 25% is put towards Good Causes, a wide range of projects in need of funding ‒ parliament apportions this money to various areas.

In the year ending 31 March 2021, the £1,887.5 million raised for National Lottery projects was divided like so: 

• Health, education, environment and charitable causes – 40%
• Sport – 20%
• Arts – 20%
• Heritage – 20%

The operator, Camelot Group, retains only 5% of revenue — that’s 4% to cover operating costs and 1% as profit. The rest goes towards Lottery Duty and commission for retailers. 

UK Lottery Rules

As with any form of gambling, there are rules as to who can play. We’ve set them out for you below:

• Players must be 18 or older – the minimum age was raised from 16 in April 2021. 
• Tickets may be bought at authorised retailers in the UK or Isle of Man, or via the internet. 
• Those buying a ticket online must be physically present in the UK or Isle of Man when they make the purchase, and must use a UK bank account to do so. 
• Lottery tickets are not transferable. 

UK Lottery Tickets

Those wanting to play any of the National Lottery’s games can purchase tickets from any authorised retailer in the UK or Isle of Man. Only one person can be considered the owner of a ticket, and they’re non-transferable. 

If you’re lucky enough to hold a ticket with winning numbers, you have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim your prize. After this, unclaimed prizes are added to the National Lottery’s project funds. 

Can I buy UK tickets online?

UK and Isle of Man players can buy UK tickets online, and it’s really simple. Tickets for the Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, and Set For Life can all be bought through the National Lottery website. 

Once you pick your numbers with the easy-to-use tool, you can select which draws you want to be entered for — there are several draws a week for each lottery. It’s also convenient to buy future tickets: you can enter your numbers in draws for the following four weeks, or set up a direct debit if you’d like to purchase tickets indefinitely. 

Playing online takes a lot of the legwork out of playing the lottery, as everything is automated and you don’t have to buy your tickets from a retailer. You’ll be notified if your ticket wins, and since it’s digital, there’s less chance of losing it. 

UK Lottery Games and Drawing Schedule

The National Lottery runs a variety of different draws each week. Which one you’ll choose to play depends on the prizes you’d like to be in with a chance of winning and how much you want to pay per entry. 

Lotto

Originally called the National Lottery, the UK’s flagship draw was rebranded to the Lotto in 2002 in an attempt to boost ticket sales. Players pick — or are assigned through Lucky Dip — six numbers from 1 to 59 for a chance to win one of the six prize tiers. 

The player who matches all six of the main numbers grabs the jackpot, which starts at £2 million for Wednesday draws and £3.8 million for Saturday draws. Just under 10% of ticket sales go towards the jackpot too. If no one wins, it rolls over up to five times, at which point it’s paid out to all prize tiers through the Jackpot Rolldown introduced in 2018. 

A ticket for the Lotto draw costs £2 per line, and there are two draws a week — 8pm on Wednesdays and 7:45pm on Saturdays.

EuroMillions

First held in Paris in 2004 and played across nine countries, the EuroMillions draw gives players a chance to win a truly eye-watering amount of money should they hit the jackpot. Each ticket is made up of five numbers between 1–50 and two Lucky Stars between 1–12; you’ll need to hit all seven to win the top prize. 

There are 12 prizes in total for matching various combinations of main numbers and Lucky Stars, along with the UK Millionaire Maker — a guaranteed prize of £1 million awarded to a UK player. It’s not uncommon for the jackpot to reach sums of nine figures too.

If you fancy a shot at winning one of these prizes, EuroMillions tickets cost £2.50 and the draw takes place at 8:45pm every Tuesday and Friday. 

Thunderball

Billed as the best chance to win £500,000 on a £1 National Lottery ticket, Thunderball is drawn four times a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:00pm, and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:15pm. 

Players must pick five main numbers between 1–39 and one Thunderball number between 1–14. There are nine tiers of prizes in total and you can win £3 from just matching the Thunderball. 

Many players are drawn to Thunderball because the odds of winning the jackpot are substantially better than the other UK lotteries, at about one in eight million. Furthermore, you won’t have to share the jackpot with any other winners — matching five main numbers and the Thunderball guarantees you the entire half million. 

Set For Life

The Set For Life draw is a little different when it comes to prizes. The top prize is £10,000 paid every month for 30 years — that’s the equivalent of a £205,000 salary after tax! Each line is made up of five main numbers between 1–47,plus the Life Ball between 1–10, and each play costs £1.50.

There are eight prize tiers in total. The second prize is also paid monthly: £10,000 a month for a year. The draw takes place twice a week on Monday and Thursday at 8:00pm.

HotPicks

The National Lottery also runs HotPicks for the Lotto and EuroMillions draws. That’s where players pick at least one of the main numbers for a chance to win. It’s an interesting variation on the traditional format, and the draws occur at the same time as their respective parent lotteries.

UK Lotteries and Draw Times

How to Claim a Lottery Prize in the UK

Claiming your prize from any of the UK lotteries is a straightforward process that can be done either physically or online ‒ we’ve explained how this can be done in both scenarios below. Don’t forget that all prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw.  

Retail

1. Check your ticket against the results — even if you didn’t match every number, you still might have won a smaller prize.
2. How to claim depends on the size of prize:
   • £500 or less – claim at a retail store. 
   • £500-£50,000 – claim at a Post Office.
   • £50,000+ – call National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to confirm your winnings and arrange a date to claim your prize.
   • Monthly prizes like Set For Life – call the National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to arrange a prize claim.
   • Free Lotto Lucky Dip – take your winning ticket to a retailer who will be able to give you a Lucky Dip ticket for either of next week’s draws. 
3. Enjoy your prize! 

Online

1. The National Lottery automatically checks tickets bought online and alerts winners. You can check the ticket yourself too, or just look out for a notification by email or text. 
2. Again, how to claim depends on how much you’ve won:
   • Up to £500 – automatically paid to your National Lottery account.
   • £500-£30,000 – confirm your card details and the money will be deposited to your bank account.
   • £30,000-£50,000 – call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to confirm your winnings, which will be deposited into your bank account.
   • £50,000+ – call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange collection of your prize.
   • Monthly prizes like Set For Life – call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange prize collection.
   • Free Lotto Lucky Dip – You’ll be automatically entered into the next draw and notified if you’ve won.
3. Any prizes up to £50,000 will be paid directly into your account within 3–5 days if you paid for your ticket with Direct Debit.

Notable Winners of UK Lotteries

There have been many winners of UK lotteries over the years, with jackpots of all sizes being paid out to some lucky players. Many winners choose to remain anonymous, but here are a few notable recipients who didn’t:

• Colin and Chris Weir – this couple from Largs, Scotland won an incredible £161 million in July 2011. 
• Bev Doran – Bev Doran was living in a council house with her four children before winning a £14 million jackpot on the EuroMillions in February 2017. 
• Laura Hoyle – it took Laura Hoyle from Nottingham two weeks to realise she’d won the Set For Life jackpot of £10,000 a month for 30 years. She even bought tickets for subsequent draws, not realising she’d bagged the life-changing prize, although her winning ticket was for the draw on 1 March 2021. 

UK Lottery Scratch-Offs

Lottery scratch-offs are a particular kind of lottery ticket with the potential to grant players instant wins, where there’s no waiting around for a draw. The outcome depends on the symbols revealed behind the scratchable windows, an exciting part of the game itself.

The National Lottery provides a wide range of scratchcards to suit different budgets and with different top prizes. Usually the more expensive cards feature bigger prizes — many of the £5 cards have a top prize of at least £1 million, for example. 

You can buy lottery scratchcards at authorised National Lottery retailers, but they’re also available online in virtual form. 

UK Lottery Second Chances – What is Second Chance?

Some UK lottery scratchcards come with a Second Chance draw which you can enter if you didn’t win. Instructions will be printed on the back of the card that explain how to enter.

Information on the UK Lottery

UK Lottery Office

The National Lottery is run by Camelot Group, and their registered office is:

Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts WD18 9RN

UK Lottery Customer Support

The National Lottery offers a few options when it comes to customer service:

• Live chat
  
• Email – [email protected]
  
• Phone for online players – 0333 234 44 33 
  Lines open 8am – 8pm Monday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm Sunday
  
• Phone for retail players – 0333 234 50 50
  Lines open 9am – 8pm Monday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm Sunday
  
• Minicom for hearing impaired – 0370 737 8249
  Lines open 9am – 8pm Monday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm Sunday
  
• Post for general enquiries:
  The National Lottery
  PO Box 251
  Watford
  WD18 9BR
  
• Post for questions about lost, stolen or destroyed tickets or a prize payout:
  The National Lottery
  PO Box 287
  Watford
  WD18 9TT

UK Lottery Social Accounts

The National Lottery regularly posts to social media with the latest results and stories of winners. You can keep up to date with them here:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

UK Lottery Apps and Technology

Mobile players rejoice — the National Lottery has an official app available to Android and iPhone users, available on Google Play and the iOS App Store. 

The UK National Lottery app has the following key features:

• Play Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, Set For Life, and instant-win games.
• Sign into your account instantly with fingerprint and face recognition.
• Enter draws with one tap after saving your lucky numbers.
• Scan paper tickets to check if you’re a winner.
• Link your bank account to deposit and withdraw funds. 
• Play responsibly by setting fund limits and number of games per day.

UK Tax Information

One of the great things about any UK lottery winnings is that they aren’t taxed — that means every pound and penny is yours to keep. If you’re playing as part of a syndicate, make sure there’s an agreement in place that ensures winnings are tax free. 

UK Lottery FAQs

Are UK lottery rules different if you play online?

No, you still need to be 18 to play and must claim your prize within 180 days of the draw. 

How do I know lotteries listed on Lottery Critic are legitimate?

All our recommended lotteries are 100% legitimate — we thoroughly research them to ensure their reputability before they’re listed on Lottery Critic.

How long does it take to receive your prize if you win the UK lottery?

Online players who win a prize up to £50,000 will have the money deposited to their bank account in 3–5 days. Winners of prizes over £50,000 must contact the National Lottery to organise a time and date to claim the money.