Hundreds of people could be missing out on free lottery tickets because they don’t know the rules around prizes outside of Lotto‘s main jackpot. Players who purchase tickets over the counter are being urged to double-check their tickets, as they could be in for a big surprise.
Lotto Lucky Dips
Many may not know that matching two main numbers on a Lotto ticket means they are automatically eligible for a free Lucky Dip ticket for a Wednesday or Saturday draw. Lotto and Lucky Dip wins are a move that could score you millions!
Lucky Dips are randomly generated numbers entered into the Lotto. That may be unlike the numbers chosen by you for your Lotto tickets. It covers numbers one to 59.
This game change came into effect in October 2015 – shortly after the ticket price went up to £2.
It means those who have matched two numbers since then may have missed out on an opportunity to redeem a free Lucky Dip.
If you play online, you’ll automatically receive a free ticket if you match two numbers. However, this isn’t the case on physical tickets. You’ll need to claim the win.
All game prizes must be claimed within 180 days after the day of the draw. Ideally, anyone with a Lotto ticket tucked away should soon check to see if they’re eligible for a free lucky dip.
And there are other ways to win big without hitting the jackpot, too.
Lotto Must Be Won draws
The National Lottery jackpot can be rolled over up to five times before it becomes a ‘must be won draw’.
If no one matches all six main numbers on a must-win draw, the jackpot is shared by all winners. That includes all of the winning cash prize tiers – match 5+bonus, match 5, match 4 and even match 3 – boosting each individual prize amount.
Each winning cash prize tier is allocated a set percentage of the jackpot. For example, if someone wins £1,750 from matching five numbers, they could actually win a massive £10,500 instead.
Anyone matching five numbers and the bonus ball could win a massive £1.2million in comparison to the initial £1million prize
Even those who match three numbers and would win £30 could receive triple that at £100 instead.
How many Lotto prizes are unclaimed?
In the past year, Camelot – which runs the National Lottery – has awarded £4.1billion in prizes to players.
Camelot couldn’t reveal how many of the ‘free’ Lucky Dip tickets had not been claimed. However, it does advise prizes over £50,000 are still unclaimed. It’s encouraged that players act quickly to ensure they claim within the 180 day claim period.