Lottery ResultsLottery stories
Record jackpots, the winners who went public, syndicates, prizes nobody claimed, the wins that went wrong, and how the games changed. Our own short accounts, each with links to the original reporting.
Record wins
- €250 million EuroMillions jackpot won three times in 2025 A €250 million EuroMillions jackpot had never been won before 2025. That year it went to Austria in March, Cork in June and Île-de-France in August.
- Anonymous UK ticket-holder claims £177 million EuroMillions jackpot A single UK ticket won the EuroMillions jackpot of about £177 million on 26 November 2024, then the third-biggest National Lottery prize.
- $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot ticket sold in Frazier Park, California One ticket from a shop in Frazier Park, California, won the $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot on 11 October 2023, ending 35 draws without a winner.
- $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in Neptune Beach, Florida A Quick Pick from Neptune Beach, Florida won the $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot on 8 August 2023, then a game record. It was claimed via a company.
- Record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won on one ticket in California A single ticket sold in Altadena, California won the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022. Edwin Castro took a $997.6 million lump sum.
- A record £195.7 million EuroMillions jackpot stays anonymous, July 2022 A single UK ticket won £195,707,000 in the EuroMillions draw on 19 July 2022, the largest National Lottery prize to date, and the winner stayed anonymous.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite win £184.3 million with a Lucky Dip, May 2022 A Gloucester couple's Lucky Dip won £184,262,899.10 in the EuroMillions draw on 10 May 2022, the biggest UK lottery prize at the time.
- Anonymous £170 million EuroMillions win sets a UK record, October 2019 One UK ticket won the full £170,221,000 EuroMillions jackpot on 8 October 2019, then the biggest National Lottery win, and the winner stayed anonymous.
- A £123.5 million EuroMillions win in June 2019 stays anonymous One UK ticket won £123,458,008 on 11 June 2019. Camelot said on 24 June that the prize had been claimed and paid, and the winner stayed anonymous.
- $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot split three ways, January 2016 Tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee shared the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot of 13 January 2016, then the largest in US history.
- A £66 million Lotto jackpot, then a record, is shared by two tickets Two tickets shared the record £66 million Lotto jackpot on 9 January 2016: David and Carol Martin of Hawick and an anonymous winner from Worcester.
- Mechanic Neil Trotter wins £107.9 million after telling colleagues he would Neil Trotter from Coulsdon won £107,932,603.20 on 14 March 2014, after telling colleagues he was going to win EuroMillions and retire.
- Adrian and Gillian Bayford's £148.7 million win, and what followed A Haverhill couple won £148,656,000 in the EuroMillions draw on 10 August 2012. They split the following year and later divorced.
- Rain kept a builder off work, and his Lucky Dip won £40.6m, January 2012 Gareth and Catherine Bull from Mansfield won £40,627,241 on 20 January 2012 with a Lucky Dip bought on a rained-off day.
- Colin and Chris Weir's £161.7 million win and the causes they backed The Largs couple won £161,653,000 in the EuroMillions draw on 12 July 2011 and went on to fund a charitable trust, Partick Thistle and the Yes campaign.
Lives changed
- Selsey couple win £105.1m, and builder Steve Thomson plans to keep working Steve and Lenka Thomson from Selsey won £105,100,701.90 on 19 November 2019. Steve said he would still finish his window and conservatory jobs.
- Amazon worker wins Set For Life top prize the first time he plays Dean Weymes, 24, from Peterborough, matched all five numbers and the Life Ball with a Lucky Dip on 29 July 2019, winning £10,000 a month for 30 years.
- Ade Goodchild wins £71 million after more than 24 years at a Hereford factory Hereford factory worker Ade Goodchild, 58, won £71,057,439 in the EuroMillions draw on 15 March 2019 and handed in his notice.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly win £115 million and give more than half away The Connollys won almost £115 million on New Year's Day 2019 with an online Lucky Dip and had given away around £60 million by December 2020.
Syndicates
- Naul family syndicate wins a record €175.4m EuroMillions jackpot A family syndicate from The Naul in north County Dublin won €175.4 million on 19 February 2019, at the time the biggest prize in Irish National Lottery history.
- Fifteen Cleland Hospital nurses share £1m Millionaire Maker prize A syndicate of 15 nurses from Cleland Hospital in North Lanarkshire matched a UK Millionaire Maker code on 20 April 2018, giving each just over £66,666.
- Twelve Corby bus drivers share £38m EuroMillions jackpot A syndicate of 12 Stagecoach drivers from Corby held the only winning ticket in the 16 March 2012 EuroMillions draw, worth £38,034,639.70.
- High Court splits £1m Millionaire Raffle prize between York boss and waiter A judge ruled in 2014 that a York restaurant owner and his waiter had agreed to play jointly, so their £1m Millionaire Raffle prize was split equally.
Unclaimed prizes
- Swansea greenkeeper finds £1m EuroMillions ticket in his car after four months Darren Burfitt's £1 million Millionaire Maker ticket from 18 October 2024 sat in his unlocked car for about four months before he found it.
- £1m Millionaire Maker prize bought in Belfast expires unclaimed A £1 million Millionaire Maker code from the EuroMillions draw on 26 April 2022 was bought in Belfast. Nobody claimed it before the deadline.
- Anonymous winner claims $1.537bn Mega Millions jackpot weeks before deadline The single winning ticket from the 23 October 2018 Mega Millions drawing was claimed anonymously on 4 March 2019, more than four months after the draw.
- The £63.8m EuroMillions ticket from Hertfordshire that nobody claimed A ticket bought around Stevenage and Hitchin won £63,837,543.60 on 8 June 2012. Nobody came forward, and the money went to good causes.
Cautionary tales
- Jane Park: £1m on her first EuroMillions ticket at 17 Jane Park won £1m with her first EuroMillions ticket in 2013, aged 17. She later pushed for a higher minimum age and said she regretted going public.
- Roger and Lara Griffiths: £1.8m in 2005, a house fire, and nothing left by 2013 Roger and Lara Griffiths won £1.8m in 2005. A fire, debts and a split followed, and by 2013 the money was gone. Lara says it did not ruin her life.
- Keith Gough: a £9m Lotto win, heavy drinking and a fraudster Louise Gough won £9m on Lotto in 2005. Her husband Keith gave up work, started drinking and lost more than £700,000 to a fraudster. He died in 2010.
- Callie Rogers: £1.9m at 16, money gone, later retraining as a nurse Callie Rogers was 16 when she won £1,875,000 on Lotto in June 2003, then the National Lottery's youngest millionaire. Most of the money was later spent.
- Jack Whittaker: the $315m Powerball winner who wished he had torn up the ticket Jack Whittaker won $314.9m on Powerball on Christmas Day 2002. Theft, lawsuits and family losses followed, and he later wished he had torn up the ticket.
- Michael Carroll: £9.7m at 19, gone within a decade, a coalman by 2019 Michael Carroll won £9.7m on the National Lottery in 2002, aged 19. By 2010 the money had gone. In 2019 he was working as a coalman and said he was happier.
- John McGuinness: a £10m lottery win, Livingston FC and nothing left by 2009 John McGuinness, a hospital auxiliary, claimed a quarter share of a jackpot in January 1996. In 2009 he told a court he had lost £3m to £4m on Livingston FC.
- Lee Ryan: £6.5m in the lottery's early days, later prison and the streets Lee Ryan won £6.5m in the National Lottery's early days. He later went to prison, spent years homeless, and in 2023 was working as a decorator.
- William 'Bud' Post: $16.2m in 1988, a murder plot, a lawsuit and debt William 'Bud' Post won $16.2m on the Pennsylvania Lottery in 1988. Debt, a lawsuit and a plot on his life followed, and he ended up on $450 a month.
- Evelyn Adams: two New Jersey jackpots within months, then a trailer park Evelyn Adams won $3.9m on New Jersey's Pick-6 in 1985 and $1.5m more in early 1986. Tax bills and heavy gambling later left her broke.
- Viv Nicholson: the 1961 pools winner who vowed to 'spend, spend, spend' Keith and Viv Nicholson won £152,000 on the football pools in 1961. The money went within about three years. Viv later said she had no regrets.
How the games changed
- Powerball comes to the UK with a £300 million first draw, 23 July 2026 UK Powerball launched through The National Lottery on 23 July 2026 with an estimated £300 million jackpot, £4 a line and three draws a week.
- New Lotto: two rounds for every £2 line from 10 June 2026 Since 10 June 2026 each £2 Lotto line has been entered into two draws a night. Allwyn put the odds of any prize at 1 in 4.9, down from 1 in 9.3.
- Allwyn takes over The National Lottery from Camelot, 1 February 2024 Allwyn began running The National Lottery on 1 February 2024 under the fourth licence, ending Camelot's time as operator since the 1994 launch.
- Set For Life launches with £10,000 a month for 30 years, March 2019 The UK's first annuity lottery game had its first draw on 18 March 2019, with a top prize of £10,000 a month for 30 years from a £1.50 line.
- Lotto ends the Millionaire Raffle and fixes its prizes, November 2018 From 21 November 2018 Lotto's lower prizes became fixed, the raffle ended and a five-rollover limit replaced the £22 million jackpot cap.
- EuroMillions adds a 12th Lucky Star and a UK line goes to £2.50, 2016 From 24 September 2016 EuroMillions drew Lucky Stars from 12 numbers, a UK line cost £2.50 and Millionaire Maker guaranteed two UK winners a draw.
- Lotto moves from 49 to 59 balls, 10 October 2015 From 10 October 2015 Lotto players picked six numbers from 59 instead of 49. A Millionaire Raffle and a free Lucky Dip for matching two came in too.
- Lotto line price doubles from £1 to £2, 3 October 2013 On 3 October 2013 a Lotto line went from £1 to £2, the first price rise since 1994, with bigger prizes for three and four numbers and a new raffle.
- The Health Lottery launches, 8 October 2011 The Health Lottery's first draw was on 8 October 2011: £1 a ticket, five numbers from 50, a top prize of up to £100,000 and 20p in every £1 to health causes.
- Thunderball relaunches with 39 balls and a £500,000 top prize, May 2010 From 12 May 2010 Thunderball's main pool grew from 34 to 39 numbers, the top prize doubled to £500,000 and a £3 prize was added for the Thunderball alone.
- EuroMillions launches with the UK, France and Spain, February 2004 EuroMillions was launched on 7 February 2004 by Camelot, Française des Jeux and Loterías y Apuestas del Estado. The first draw was in Paris on 13 February.
- The first National Lottery draw, 19 November 1994 Seven tickets shared a £5,874,778 jackpot in the first draw on 19 November 1994, when a Lotto line cost £1 and Camelot ran the game.
Strange but true
- Irish Lotto's capped €19.06m jackpot is won in Castlebar after seven months After seven months without a jackpot winner, one Quick Pick sold in Castlebar, County Mayo, won a record €19,060,800 in the Irish Lotto on 15 January 2022.
- South Africa's PowerBall draws 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and 20 tickets win South Africa's PowerBall draw on 1 December 2020 came out as a straight run of numbers. Twenty tickets shared the jackpot and a review found no fraud.
- Coventry couple win Thunderball's top prize twice after a duplicated line Gayle Say from Coventry copied the same Thunderball line twice by mistake in October 2019. Both copies won the £500,000 top prize.
- Irish Lotto explains why ball 38 appeared to show 33 on air Viewers of the Lotto Plus 1 draw on 7 October 2017 saw ball 38 seem to carry two numbers. The Irish National Lottery said a reflection caused the illusion.
- Scunthorpe couple win £1m on EuroMillions for the second time in two years David and Kathleen Long won £1 million on EuroMillions in July 2013 and again on 27 March 2015, odds Camelot put at more than 283 billion to one.
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