As you might have already known, it’s not easy to win the lottery and the odds of winning UK lottery are extremely slim. The four major UK lottery sites are:
- EuroMillions
- Set for Life
- Thunderball
- Lotto
While the odds of winning UK lottery remain slim, let’s take a closer look at each of the options that are available to players.
Major Lotteries in the UK
In the below sections, we take a look at each of the major lotteries in the UK, along with their odds of you winning and other vital information.
1. Euromillions
EuroMillions is an international lottery game that is open to participation from players in Austria, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In terms of winning, EuroMillions has some of the hardest odds to beat, with the figures standing at a 1/139,838,160 chance for the top prize or jackpot. The odds of winning UK lottery in this pot are very difficult.
However, it’s important to note that EuroMillions is one of the highest-paying lotteries in the world. The winning draw at the Euromillion takes home £14 million. The smaller and less significant prizes on offer at the Euro Millions vary from as little as £2.50, all the way to £130,500, with occasional changes in value taking place.
The odds of winning the National Lottery are slim but not impossible.
2. Lotto
Also known as the National Lottery, the Lotto is the most popular lottery game in the UK. In its present form, the Lotto gives UK players the chance to try their luck at a £9.2 million weekly jackpot. This large prize pool entices a vast majority of UK adults to buy a lottery ticket at least once in their lifetime.
The odds of winning the National Lottery stand at 1/45,057,474. The Lotto uses a number system where the winner is required to have an exact combination of the six winning digits. Depending on how much you fall short by, you can also win anywhere between £30 and £1,000,000.
3. Set For Life
The Set For Life lottery takes its name from its prize structure, which is designed to help winners never have to worry about money in their lives again. Instead of giving winners a large one-time payout, the Set For Life Lottery makes winners eligible to claim £10,000 every month for the next 30 years after winning the lottery.
Lower prizes in the Set For Life Lottery also makes online lottery winners eligible to claim varying smaller amounts, ranging from £5 and £250, depending on their luck. In instances where a player has fallen just short of the main prize, this lottery also pays out £120,000 monthly, or over a period of a year.
4. Thunderball
Of the four famous UK lotteries listed here, the Thunderball has some of the best odds of winning. The odds currently stand at 1/8,060,597. Since each ticket costs £1 to purchase, the Thunderball also places accessibility at the core of its value system, since pretty much anyone can buy a Thunderball ticket.
The Thunderball lottery also offers online lottery winners smaller prizes, in case they fall short of landing the number sequence that wins the jackpot. Some of the other cash prizes available with this lottery range from £3 and £5000, depending on the number sequence on the ticket in question.
Trying to figure out which numbers on choose can be no simple task.
How to Pick Winning Lottery Numbers
Lotteries, especially those that operate in the UK are famous for sharing hot and cold numbers with the public. While hot and cold numbers can serve as a loose guide and help you make choices while purchasing your tickets, it’s important to remember that winning the lottery is ultimately a game of pure luck.
Odds of Winning UK Lottery Statistics
Despite all the famous stories of people who have gone on to transform their lives by winning the lottery, the reality of the situation is quite different. According to the top UK lottery statistics, even the most favorable games have average odds of around 1/8,000,000.
Knowing the odds of winning is important before you play, as it helps you know what you’re getting into before you actually spend any of your own money. Even if you miss the big jackpot prize, it’s still quite likely that you can win one of the smaller prizes on offer.
Lottery Revenue Statistics
The UK National Lottery or the Lotto alone brings in billions of pounds every year in annual revenue. While a portion of this money is used to pay winning players, the remainder is used for public projects, to fund the government through taxes, and to cover the costs of operating a large scale public lottery.
The Largest Jackpot Ever Won in the UK
A few hundred people over the years have become proper millionaires by winning the lottery in the UK. However, the biggest ever prize handed out as a lottery win in the UK was a whopping £66 million in the year 2016, which was split between two fortunate players. The second-largest prize in the history of lotteries in the UK came in at $42 million, which was awarded in the year 1996.
Are you playing from the USA? In that case, you could check out our guide to the best online casinos available in the USA.
Frequently Asked Questions
While it may seem straightforward enough to just buy a lottery ticket and hope for the best – it’s important to bear in mind that playing the lottery is much like any other form of gambling. There are several nuances to consider before you play. Be sure to visit our guides to online gambling to get the latest info on all the possible ways that you could play online.
What are the odds of winning UK lottery?
While those odds might be slim, remember to play smartly to maximize your chances of winning the lottery. To know more about lottery gambling in the UK visit, our guide to the UK Multilotto Casino.
Which British lottery has the best odds?
The Thunderball has the best odds of winning among all the lotteries available in the UK. To know more about the different ways in which you can gamble in the UK, check out all the online gambling options that are available.
What happens to lottery winnings statistics?
Contrary to popular belief, most lottery winners hold on to their prize money. It is estimated that anywhere between 10 to 70% of lottery winners lose their winnings after a few years, although most of these statistics are purely anecdotal in nature. Visit our guide to online lotteries to find a good lottery to play with.
