Lottery rules you need to know as mum waits to hear about £12million win
READERS were left shocked yesterday after learning about a mum who faces an agonising 30 day wait to see if she won a £12million lotto jackpot.
Kath Main is adamant she won the multi-million prize but must hold out for a month after a shopkeeper threw her winning ticket in the bin.
The mum of two read in The Sun that the June 6 jackpot was unclaimed, and the winning numbers matched hers.
But her mum, Fiona, had taken the ticket to be checked at a Londis in Abercynon, South Wales, where they said it was not a winner and told staff to put the ticket in the bin.
By the time Kath had realised she was the winner the bins had been emptied.
She told National Lottery operator Allwyn what happened, with proof of purchase and doorbell footage from a hair salon showing her mum at the time. Allwyn is now investigating her case.
The next EuroMillions draw is set to take place on Friday and worth a whopping £24million.
If you are planning on buying a ticket it might be more important than ever to brush up on some important lotto rules.
That includes a crucial 30 day missing ticket rule and other important small print.
Here is what you need to know.
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The 180-day prize rule
Winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize – otherwise, they lose the lot.
It means players have six months from the draw date to claim. After that, even a jackpot is gone for good.
One player, who bought their ticket in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales in April 2024, missed out on £1 million after the deadline for claiming passed in October.
Their UK Millionaire Maker winnings went to charity instead.
30-day ticket rule
If you think you have lost a winning ticket, you need to act fast or you risk losing your prize.
You have to tell Allwyn within 30 days of the draw — or you lose your chance, no matter what. But you report the loss within that time frame, Allwyn will try to pay out your prize.
It will investigate to work out whether you are the rightful ticket holder, asking questions such as where you bought the ticket and whether it was your own numbers or a Lucky Dip.
Simon Horne, from Allwyn UK, the National Lottery, previously told The Sun: “If you’ve bought the ticket, we want to try and find a way to be able to get you your prize.
“We’d investigate and then if no one else had come forward after 180 days, we have discretion to award you the prize, even without a ticket.”
The direct debit error that could cost you your chance to win
Having an online account to buy regular EuroMillions tickets makes sense for some.
It means you don’t miss a draw, never lose a ticket, and you’ll be automatically notified if you win.
It works by setting up a Direct Debit so a set amount comes out of your bank account.
Winnings of less than £50,000 will then automatically be paid in.
But, be warned, you have to have sufficient funds in your account for a Direct Debit to be taken.
If that’s not the case, you may not be entered into the draw.
Never let your mate buy your ticket
Technically, whoever bought the ticket is the owner. So, think carefully before sending someone to the shop to get it for you.
The Sun previously spoke to Lottery Guy, an anonymous expert who shares top tips on how to boost your chances of winning.
He warned readers about allowing a friend or partner to grab your ticket as if it wins, there’s nothing to stop them claiming it for themselves.
“Money can do strange things to people.”
Even if you’ve bought it yourself, you can take steps to make sure no one else claims it as theirs.
He said for extra protection you should write your name on the back of the ticket as soon as you buy it.
“Hardly anyone does this, but if there’s no name on it, they have to assume the person who has the ticket is the rightful owner.
“Unless someone comes forward to dispute the claim, they will pay out to that person who has the ticket.”
This might also help if you drop it, someone else finds it, or it gets stolen.
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Never pick the ‘right’ numbers
Statistically, each number has an equal chance of being drawn.
That means that there are no numbers which are more likely to help you win.
The trick is to pick numbers that players are least likely to pick.
One of the main ways that you can avoid picking other people’s numbers is to pick numbers on the left of the grid, and avoid those on the right.
That’s because studies show that people naturally gravitate towards the right-hand side.
Avoid birthday numbers
It may be tempting to pick yours and your loved one’s birthday dates as your main numbers with the hope they bring you luck.
But the Lottery Guy said it’s best to avoid this tactic.
That’s because there will be a greater number of people picking numbers 1-31.
“Avoiding these numbers doesn’t increase your chance of winning, but if you do win, you’re much less likely to split the prize with other winners.”
Pick ‘unpopular’ numbers
Statistically, each number has an equal chance of winning, which means there are no “lucky” numbers you can pick to boost your chances.
But Lottery Guy said a good idea would be to pick “unpopular” numbers in your ticket.
Unpopular numbers are those which run from 32-50, because they fall outside of the birthday date numbers.
It makes sense to choose these numbers, because fewer players will be picking them.
That means that if you win a share of the winnings, there will be fewer people with the same unpopular numbers on their ticket.
Play on Tuesdays
You have to be in it to win it, so if you want the chance of scooping a jackpot, you must buy a ticket.
But certain days are better than others to buy a ticket.
Lottery Guy said Tuesday is actually the best day to buy a ticket over Friday.
He said: “With EuroMillions, Friday is the much more popular day, so you’ve got more competition on a Friday.
“Consider focusing on the Tuesday draw if you want to keep more of that jackpot for yourself.”
This content is sourced from www.thesun.co.uk and is shared for informational purposes only.
