One lucky player matched all six numbers in Saturday's Lotto draw to win a £12 million jackpot — but the winner hasn't yet come forward. That's not unusual: National Lottery winners are not required to go public and can choose to remain anonymous after claiming their prize.
The National Lottery Lotto is the UK's best-known lottery game. Draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 8pm (with the Thunderball draw at 8.15pm). A single line costs £2. To win the jackpot, you must match all six main numbers drawn from 1 to 59. The odds of doing that are roughly one in 45 million. There are also smaller prizes for matching two or more numbers, and the bonus ball gives an extra chance to win in certain prize tiers.
“How the UK National Lottery Lotto works, including draws, odds, Must Be Won rules, and what happens to unclaimed prizes.”
In addition to the chance of winning, each Lotto play contributes around £30 million every week to good causes across the UK. That money funds arts, heritage, sport and community projects.
Tonight's draw was a "Must Be Won" draw. In a Must Be Won draw, the entire jackpot is guaranteed to be paid out. If someone matches all six numbers, they win the full jackpot as usual. If no one matches all six, the jackpot is "rolldowned" — meaning the prize money is shared among players who matched two or more numbers. This mechanism ensures the jackpot is always won on that draw.
Another game, Thunderball, also runs alongside Lotto. It offers a top prize of £500,000 for matching five main numbers plus the Thunderball. The odds of winning the Thunderball top prize are about one in 8 million, and players have a one in 13 chance of winning any prize in each draw.
In the June 6 draw, one player won the £12m Lotto jackpot by matching 08, 10, 26, 30, 35 and 42. The bonus ball was 50. The winner has yet to claim the prize, but they will receive support and guidance from the National Lottery, including financial and legal advice, once they come forward.
Q: What happens if no one wins the Lotto jackpot? Usually the jackpot rolls over to the next draw, increasing the prize. But in a Must Be Won draw, if no one matches all six numbers, the jackpot is shared among players who matched two or more numbers in a process called a rolldown.
Q: Can I stay anonymous if I win the National Lottery? Yes. National Lottery winners are not required to go public. You can choose to remain anonymous after claiming your prize.
Q: What are the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot? The odds of matching all six main numbers in a Lotto draw are around one in 45,057,474. The odds of winning any prize are about one in 13.
Looking ahead, Lotto continues with regular draws every Wednesday and Saturday. The next Must Be Won draw will be announced by the National Lottery. Unclaimed prizes, like the £12m jackpot from June 6, can be claimed for a period of 180 days from the draw date — after that, the money goes to good causes.