Lottery Results UK

Everyone wants to win the lottery – and a lot of people do! Millions of pounds are won every year, but which UK lottery has the best odds of winning? Wondering what are the odds of winning the lottery? Here you’ll find a list of the lottery odds of all of your favourite lotteries.

What are the odds of winning EuroMillions?

EuroMillions is one of the UK’s favourite lotteries, but what are the actual odds of winning the jackpot? To win the Jackpot, EuroMillions requires you select five numbers from 1-50 and two Lucky Star numbers from 1-12. Because of this, the chances of a single ticket winning the jackpot in a EuroMillions draw is 1 in 139,838,160.

Luckily, EuroMillions gives you 12 additional opportunities to win prizes from matching the five main numbers and one Star Number (1 in 6,991,908 chance of winning) to only matching two numbers (1 in 22 chance of winning).

What are the odds of winning EuroMillions HotPicks?

EuroMillions HotPicks is a relatively new lottery that launched in January 2018. Most people still don’t know how it’s different to regular EuroMillions when in reality, it couldn’t be simpler! When buying a EuroMillions HotPicks ticket, you choose how many numbers you would like to match (as few as one or as many as 5). Then you pick your numbers from 1-50 just like regular EuroMillions. When a EuroMillions draw takes place, the five main numbers draw are also used as the numbers for EuroMillions HotPicks.

Unlike normal EuroMillions, with EuroMillions HotPicks, you must match all the numbers you have chosen (if you opted for a pick 1 you only have to match 1, a pick 2 requires you to match 2 etc.). This means that you have quite good odds of winning a prize if you have opted for a Pick 1 (1 in 10) which will result in a £10 prize and a pick 5 gives you a 1 in 2,118,760 chance at the £1,000,000 prize!

What are the odds of winning Lotto?

In addition to EuroMillions, the other major lottery we get asked about a lot is Lotto. Drawn every Saturday and Wednesday the UK Lotto requires you to successfully pick six numbers from a pool of fifty-nine. You must match a minimum of two to win a prize and match all six (the five main numbers and the bonus ball) to win the major jackpot.

The odds of picking all six numbers correctly in a National Lottery draw are 1 in 45,057,474. These are better odds than the EuroMillions jackpot, but not as good as the EuroMillions HotPicks main prize. The odds of winning the most basic prize (matching two numbers which gets you a free Lotto Lucky Dip) are 1 in 10.3. When compared to the 1 in 22 chance of winning the bottom prize in EuroMillions, the odds seem quite strong!

What are the odds of winning Lotto HotPicks?

Similar to EuroMillions HotPicks, Lotto HotPicks is an extension of the regular National Lottery/UK Lotto game. Just like EuroMillions HotPicks, you first determine how many numbers you would like to pick (between pick 1 and pick 5), then choose your numbers.

To win, all of the numbers you have chosen must be drawn (1 if you chose a Pick 1 ticket, two if you chose a Pick 2 etc.). Because of this, the odds of winning are quite good, with a 1 in 10 chance of winning on a Pick 1 ticket (a £6 prize) and a 1 in 834,398 chance of winning on a Pick 5 ticket (a £350,000 prize).

What are the odds of winning Thunderball?

Thunderball is an increasingly popular lottery with people in the UK. It is similar to the US Powerball; you must match five main numbers plus the Thunderball to win the main prize. Unlike many of the other lotteries on this list, Thunderball does not jackpot. Instead, there is a guaranteed £500,000 prize for people who match all five numbers plus the Thunderball. Drawn five times per week, players must pick five numbers between 1-39 and one Thunderball between 1-14.

Due to the relatively low number of numbers to choose from the odds of winning Thunderball are better than many of the other lotteries. The minimum you must match to win a prize is just the Thunderball with a 1 in 13 chance of that happening. However, the main £500,000 prize has the surprisingly good odds of winning at 1 in 8,060,598.

As is the case with most UK lotteries, as the odds of winning improve, the value of the prize goes down. If you’re chasing record-breaking jackpots, or just want to retire comfortably and treat the family, it can help to know which UK lotteries have the best odds of winning.

So what’s your strategy? Will you go for the big prize in EuroMillions or play it safe with a pick 1 Lotto HotPick? Or maybe somewhere in between?

Every Thunderball draw gives winners thousands of reasons to smile, with 9 prize tiers and the chance to win a minimum top prize of £500,000 – four times a week! Find out what some recent Thunderball winners did after discovering their UK Thunderball results.

UK Thunderball: Results and Winners

Festival of Excitement, Chichester

Karen and David Ainger are still reeling after learning their numbers had won the Thunderball draw. Karen explained how they enjoyed playing Thunderball because of the good odds, and small prizes they had won previously. Late one evening, when David had headed to bed, she remembered their tickets hadn’t been checked. Karen quickly checked the UK Thunderball results but had to check again, not believing her eyes.

An excited Karen called for David to check himself, before confirming that they had just won half a million pounds! The couple had to wait until the next day to claim, resulting in a restless night for Karen. With the winnings, they plan to use the funds wisely and enjoy the quiet life, paying back loans, investing, and saving for retirement. The Chichester couple celebrated the win at the Chichester Festival Theatre, and looks forward to going to many more shows!

Family Syndicate, County Durham

Walter Knowles and his children Gary, Christina, and Joanne formed a lottery Syndicate to play Lotto and Thunderball every week. Walter’s wife and mother to the children, Eva, had played with the family until passing early last year. However, the team continued to play in memory of Eva, playing her usual four Lucky Dip lines. Fortunately, their numbers came up and won them a  £500,000 prize!

Christina shared how Walter had a dream they were going to win the night prior, and how she believes it is her mum looking down on them. When asked how they were going to spend the winnings from their lucky Thunderball results, she spoke of the relief that they will now be able to afford a new home for Walter and Joanne, his full-time carer. She described the experience as unbelievable and just wonderful.

Accidental Millionaire, Coventry

This has to be one of the best Thunderball draw results we have heard. A 65-year-old cleaner from Coventry won Thunderball’s top prize of £500,000 not once, but twice! Gayle and Philip Say have played the lotto for over 25 years, winning the occasional small prize. However, the Thunderball draw results were welcome news, especially after learning Gayle accidentally bought two tickets with the same winning numbers! She noted how it took her some time to confirm the UK Thunderball results and let it sink in. They had won £1,000,000! The couple celebrated the win with champagne and danced around the living room.

Gayle shared how she had promptly quit her cleaning job, excited at the prospect of sleeping in and finally having her weekends back – a lifestyle she hasn’t had for 28 years!

Congratulations to all the Thunderball draw winners!

One thing’s for sure, lotteries raise a lot of money. But, where does the lottery money go? Lotteries, of course, benefit their lucky players, but they also raise funds for worthy causes. The proceeds of the lotteries go to a variety of different charities and societies. You can be sure that with every purchase you are helping a cause. Better yet, you have the chance to win big!

Where does the National Lottery money go?

Funds from the National Lottery games, including Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, and more, are used to fund many aspects of the game. While some running costs apply, 95% of total revenue goes back to lottery winners and the community. From player prizes and the cost of running the lotteries. Plus, a significant portion then goes on to help with some good causes.

95% of revenue from the National Lottery games goes back to winners and society. A large portion of funds raised goes to prizes, with over 5,000 millionaires sharing in £13.3 billion! What’s more, there are thousands of prizes awarded with lower category wins that happen each and every draw.

The remaining profits go to Good Causes, with over £40 Billion raised for charities, projects, and grants. A variety of causes receive support from the National Lottery. These causes include health, education, environment, and charitable causes, sport, arts, and heritage preservation. The National Lottery advises that over 565,000 projects have been made possible from funds raised by lottery purchases. In just one year (ending 31 March 2019), they reported total ticket sales of £7,206.8 million and:

Where does the People’s Postcode Lottery money go?

While some money raised by the People’s Postcode Lottery is used to cover the expenses of running the draws (28%), the majority goes towards providing prizes to the lucky winners (40%), and of course, sharing the fundraising with good causes (32%).

The People’s Postcode Lottery is one of the most charitable lotteries. There is a guarantee that at least 32p of every £1 spent on lottery tickets goes to a list of supported charities. Just like a strong community should, the charities help to promote and fundraise with the lotteries. Meanwhile, to ensure every charity is receives a fair share of the support, each draw is dedicated to a specific charity or trust across a prize draw calendar.

So far, over £500 Million has been raised through The People’s Postcode Lottery!

Where does The Health Lottery money go?

Not only does The Health Lottery offer a great opportunity for players to win, but it also offers the chance to support a great cause. With an already enticing 1 in 9.7 chance of winning a prize, you can feel assured that your money is also going towards addressing health inequalities across Great Britain!

The Health Lottery is run directly by an independent charity called the People’s Health Trust. The lottery is run to support their work in addressing health inequalities across Great Britain. A collaboration of 12 regional society lotteries, the money raised is allocated to one society each turn. The allocation rotates throughout the year, so each area receives a share of the funds raised.

While some funds from the Health Lottery go directly to managing funds and running costs, most of the money raised goes back into prizes and to support efforts tackling health inequalities. Over £112 million has been raised so far, helping over 3,000 projects and over 550,000 people.

Have you ever wondered where the lucky lottery winners live? Recently, The National Lottery released a Millionaire Map showing the number of UK lottery winners in each region, dating back over 25 years! Incredibly, there have been over 5,500 new millionaires from every corner of the UK.

UK Lottery Winners by Region

Eager to see how your region did?

Source: The National Lottery. Data from 19/11/1994 – 29/09/2019.

The region that had the most millionaires was the South East, home to an incredible 776 millionaires and 5,395 lottery winners who have won over £50,000. That means that well over a billion dollars was won by winners in this one region alone.

While the Midlands saw the second greatest number of millionaires over the years, they certainly take home the title for the most lottery winners in the UK of a prize over £50,000.

Want to be a millionaire London lottery winner? Chances are good with 674 millionaires and a mind-blowing 4,933 lucky winners winning over £50,000.

These UK lottery winners were prize winners of all the various games from the National Lottery. This includes a EuroMillions winner, Lotto winner, Postcode Lottery winner, Thunderball winner, and all other winners from other UK lottery.

UK Lottery Good Causes

Even better, over £40 billion has been raised in donations to good causes. The National Lottery raises funds to support UK projects in the community. These causes range from health, education, environmental, and charitable causes, to sports, arts, and heritage preservation. One thing is for sure, lottery players’ support has changed the lives of many people in their community and across the UK.

Have your chance to be one of the seven new millionaires being made each week in the UK! If you want to become a millionaire like these lucky prize winners, make sure to get your ticket in a National Lottery draw.

A series of changes to the prize structure of EuroMillions has occurred as of 1 February 2020. But what exactly is EuroMillions, and what are the changes?

What is EuroMillions? 

EuroMillions is a lottery which takes place on Tuesday and Friday evenings every week. The lottery is open to people from Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. 

EuroMillions also includes Millionaire Maker. This is a supplementary draw which gives players an extra chance to win £1 million in every draw. There is a UK Millionaire Maker, as well as a European Millionaire Maker, which is open to European countries eligible for EuroMillions. 

What are the EuroMillions changes? 

Several changes have taken place, altering the prize structure. The EuroMillions changes include:

Increase in Jackpot Cap

Previously, EuroMillions had a jackpot cap of €190 million. Since the cap was set in July 2011, EuroMillions has reached this cap four times. 

In order to allow for new records to be set, the jackpot cap has been increased to €200 million. 

If a jackpot reaches €200 million, it will stay at this level for a maximum of four draws. If there are no winners in the fifth draw, the jackpot winnings will be split between those who have matched five numbers plus one Lucky Star. 

Once someone has won the €200 million prize, the cap will increase by €10 million. The cap will continue increasing by €10 million every time someone wins the jackpot. 

Money allocated to the jackpot

To help the jackpot accelerate quicker, the prize fund split has been altered. This alteration means the top jackpot will reach £100 million after eight rollovers rather than 11. 

From 1 February, 50 percent of the prize money will go towards the jackpot from the first six draws, an increase from the previous 43.2 percent. After six draws, this amount will reduce to 42 percent, instead of the previous 27 percent. 

To make up for this increase, the other 12 prize categories have been adjusted. 

Changes in ticket price going to Millionaire Maker

While there has been no increase in the ticket price – tickets will still cost £2.50 per entry – there have been changes to how this price is divided between EuroMillions and Millionaire Maker. 

Previously, £1.65 was allocated to EuroMillions and £0.85 to Millionaire Maker. Since 1 February, this has been changed to £1.74 to EuroMillions and £0.76 to Millionaire Maker.

More Superdraws to take place

This year you can expect to see more Superdraws take place. EuroMillions Superdraws are special draws which guarantee a nine-figure jackpot. 

Superdraws are announced a month in advance, giving the jackpot time to increase. The size of the Superdraw jackpot does not change depending on the prize total from the previous draw. 

If the Superdraw is not won, it will continue to roll until the jackpot cap is reached. 

In 2020, at least three Superdraws are expected to take place. The first Superdraw of 2020 took place on 7 February. 

Four people have had a lucky start to the year, winning a share of £180,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery.

The neighbours, from the Sutherland community of Embo, were announced as the winners on Saturday with the postcode IV25 3PS. 

Two of the winners played twice – bringing their total prize to £60,000 each. The remaining two have won £30,000 each.

Sixty-six-year-old Linda Holden was one of the lucky double ticket winners and was presented two cheques alongside her husband John and their pet Schnauzer Gnasher.

Mrs Holden stated how she wasn’t used to winning the lottery, and how it has come at the perfect time. 

“We’re looking to move and have been looking at properties so this has just upped the ante for us and means we can look at something that little bit better now. This means absolutely everything to us.”

Mrs Holden stated one of the reasons she plays the People’s Lottery is because of the charities the lottery supports, in particular, the Dogs Trust.

“Dogs Trust is my favourite charity and that’s why I joined because of the support that goes to them. It’s not just me that’s won but the charities win too.”

The People’s Postcode Lottery provides a minimum of 32 per cent of ticket sales directly to charities. The Dogs Trust, which cares for and rehomes dogs in the UK, has received more than £12 million. In total, more than £500 million has been raised for causes around the UK.

What is the People’s Postcode Lottery?

The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription-based lottery which is based on your postcode, rather than selected numbers. When a postcode is drawn, all players with that postcode win. You do not have to use your postcode, you can choose to use any postcode. 

To play, you pay £10 per month, and you have the chance to win prizes every day. You can choose to have multiple subscriptions, each costing £10. You can cancel your subscription at any time.

There are three prize tiers:

• £1,000 Daily Prize, which is awarded Monday through until Sunday
• £30,000 Street Prize, awarded on Saturday and Sunday
• £3,000,000 Postcode Millions Prize, awarded every month.

Players are automatically entered into every draw, with a chance to win £1,000, £30,000 or a share in £3,000,000.

Winners will be notified by email, SMS, mail or phone call. Winners will receive the prize directly into their accounts within 28 days. You can check if you are a lucky winner by seeing the results at Lottery Results.