National Lottery issues ‘check tickets’ message as £12m prize unclaimed

The player has until December 3, 2026, to claim their cash

The National Lottery is appealing for the winner of a life-changing £12M prize from a Lotto draw earlier this month.

It has been revealed that the winning ticket was bought in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, for the Lotto Must Be Won draw on June 6. The ticket matched all six main numbers – 08, 10, 26, 30, 35 and 42 – to scoop the entire £12,000,000 jackpot.

Now the National Lottery has put out an appeal to try and find the rightful winner and unite them with their fortune.

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The National Lottery is urging anyone who purchased a ticket in the area for the draw in question, whether a local resident or someone visiting, is being urged to check their tickets for these lucky numbers.

The ticket-holder has until Thursday 3 December 2026 to claim the prize.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “This is an incredible win for one lucky Lotto ticketholder. Someone out there is a multi-millionaire, and they have no idea that they are sitting on this life-changing sum of money.

“We are urging Lotto players to check their tickets to see if they are our would-be winner. Were you in and around Rhondda Cynon Taf in the weeks leading up to the Lotto draw on 6 June?

“Perhaps our winner isn’t even from the area and played Lotto while visiting during the heatwave, or maybe you were just passing through. Think back to whether this could be you, as we want nothing more than to unite the winner with their prize money.”

Mr Carter continued: “Imagine this sum of money in your bank account and how it could change not only your life but that of your friends, family and charities or good causes close to your heart.

“This is a massive win and we can’t wait to unite the lucky ticket-holder with their Lotto Jackpot prize. Tell your friends, check your pockets – there are twelve million reasons to check your tickets, because it could be you!”

The winner has until Thursday 3 December 2026 to claim the prize. However, anyone not in possession of their ticket, for whatever reason, but who believes they have a genuine claim can still make a claim in writing to Allwyn, provided it is submitted within 30 days of the draw. Players can also check the current list of unclaimed National Lottery prizes on the National Lottery website.

The hunt for the £12m winner comes as the Lotto draw has undergone a huge change. Now, every £2 Lotto line gives players two chances to win, for the same price and with the same number of balls to choose from.

The changes are expected to create hundreds more millionaires each year, increasing the number from around 140 to approximately 345 annually, while improving players’ chances of winning any prize from 1 in 9.3 to 1 in 4.9.