UK National Lottery
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UK National Lottery

One of the most popular lotteries in the UK since 1994.
Pros
✔ Affordable ticket prices

✔ Decent odds of winning

✔ Two weekly draws

✔ Tax-free
Cons
✘ No Annuity option

✘ You have to be from the UK or Isle of Man to play
Next Draw:

Saturday, Apr 20, 2024

Jackpot:

GBP 3.8 Million
  • 1 :
  • 3
  • : 7
  • : 59

Latest UK National Lottery Results and Stats

The UK National lottery was founded in 1994 and is still one of the most popular lotteries to play in the United Kingdom. 60% of UK adults play this lottery because it has incredibly high jackpots and excellent odds.

If you want to play the UK National Lottery you can do it in the comfort of your own home by playing online. To help you, I’ve created a comprehensive guide on how to play the UK National Lottery online. Find out more about ticket prices, starting jackpots and the odds of winning by reading further!

UK National Lottery Highlights

  • Ticket price: £2
  • Starting jackpot: £2,000,000
  • Record jackpot: £171,120, 673
  • Jackpot odds: 1 in 45,057,474
  • Any prize odds: 1 in 9.3
  • Who Can play UK National Lottery: Must be a UK resident or from the Isle of Man
  • UK National Lottery drawings: Wednesdays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 7:45 pm GMT+1

How to Play (and Buy) UK National Lottery Online

One of the reasons the UK National Lottery is so popular is because it’s easy to play. Simply buy your £2 from the company’s website or at your local store. Then pick six numbers between 1 and 59. There’s also a bonus ball but it only participates in the second tier from the jackpot.

You can play up to seven lines of numbers on one ticket and you can buy up to 10 payslips at a time. Additionally, you can also choose the Lucky Dip which is a quick pick feature if you don’t want to choose your numbers manually.

The UK National Lottery also has an additional game called Lotto Hot Picks. You must pick five numbers between 1 and 50 to play the game. If you choose to play this game you can purchase it for an extra £1 over and above your initial UK National Lottery ticket price. 

UK National Lottery Rules

To play the draw on Wednesdays or Saturdays you must buy your UK National Lottery ticket 30 minutes before the draw. What’s more, if you want to win the UK National Lottery you must match all five numbers in the draw. To be eligible to play you must be a UK resident or from the Isle of Man and you must be 18 years or older.

UK National Lottery Drawings

The UK National Lottery drawings take place every Wednesday at 8:00 pm and every Saturday at 7:45 pm GMT. You can watch the draws live on television on BBC One or you can view the results after the draw on the UK National Lottery website.

UK National Lottery Prizes & Odds of Winning

One advantage of the UK National Lottery is that it has better odds compared to EuroMillions which has an estimated odds of 1 in 139,838,160. This lottery also has smaller prize tiers that offer you a higher chance of winning. Take a look at the table I’ve created below to see your chances of winning the UK National Lottery.

Match Prize Odds of Winning
6 balls Jackpot 1:45,057,474
5 balls plus the bonus ball £1,000,000 1:7,509,579
5 main balls £1,750 1:144,415
4 main balls £140 1:2,180
3 main balls £30 1:96.2
2 main balls Free Lucky Dip 1:10.3

UK National Lottery Payout

Unfortunately, the UK National Lottery doesn’t offer an annuity option. You can only choose the lump sum option when you win a big prize. The upside is that you won’t be subjected to taxes because the UK National Lottery is tax-free.

Jackpots on a Saturday start at £3.8 million and £2 million on a Wednesday. So if you want to try winning a higher jackpot then play for the Saturday night UK National Lottery draw. Players have a 180 day grace period to collect their winnings. On the other hand, players can collect prizes 7 days after the draw.

The rules will differ depending on how you play the UK National Lottery. For online players, you can only claim your prize if you are the holder of the online account with the UK National Lottery.

If you’re claiming a prize over £50,000 you must fill out a Prize Claim form and send it through to the UK National Lottery within 180 after the draw.

Biggest UK National Lottery Winners

Players generally check if the lottery they’re playing has had any past winners. This confirms the legitimacy of the lottery. You’ll be happy to know that the UK National Lottery has had many winners since its inception. Take a look at the table below to see this lottery’s top winners.

Winner Jackpot Amount Date
2 winners (anonymous) £66 million January 9, 2016
1 winner (anonymous) £35.1 million April 6, 2016
1 winner (anonymous) £32.5 million February 13, 2016

UK National Lottery FAQ

When are the UK National Lottery draws held?

The UK National Lottery is held every Wednesday at 8:00 pm and every Saturday at 7:45 pm GMT in the UK. You can watch the draw live on BBC One.

Can the UK National Lottery lottery be played online from overseas?

No, to be eligible to play the UK National Lottery you must be a UK resident or from the Isle of Man.

After the UK National Lottery draw date, how long are the tickets valid for?

Your UK National Lottery ticket is valid for 180 days after the draw. You must claim your prize within that time period or you’ll lose your winnings.

What are the payout options for the UK National Lottery jackpot?

The UK National Lottery doesn’t offer an annuity option so you’ll get paid out a lump sum after winning the jackpot.

Are UK National Lottery Winnings Subject to Taxes?

No, the UK National Lottery is tax-free so you will receive your entire winnings without paying anything to the government. This is one of the reasons why players prefer to play the UK National Lottery.

Final Thoughts – Should You Play UK National Lottery Online?

The UK National Lottery has many perks with fewer drawbacks compared to other national lotteries. The only disadvantage is that you can’t play this lottery if you are not from the UK or the Isle of Man. This can be disappointing for players who want to play abroad.

On the other hand, the ticket prices are cheap and your chances of winning are quite high compared to other national lotteries such as the US Powerball. You can purchase your tickets online from the lottery’s website or you can buy tickets from your local store. With so many perks, you should definitely play the UK National Lottery!