You could be sitting on a winning National Lottery ticket without knowing

• Millions in National Lottery prizes go unclaimed each year
• Winning tickets are often lost, forgotten, or overlooked
• Several major prizes, including £1m+ wins, are still outstanding
• Deadlines are approaching for some winners to come forward
• Simple checks could reveal a life-changing win

Each year, millions in National Lottery winnings are left unclaimed, not because the money disappears, but because people don’t realise they’ve won.

Tickets are misplaced in coat pockets, tucked away in drawers, or lost among unopened emails. As time passes, life moves on, and the prize money remains untouched.

One of those prizes could be yours. With several big wins still unclaimed, it only takes one forgotten ticket to make a life-changing difference. Take a moment to check the list below, you could be sitting on a small fortune.

Prize winnings of £500 and under can be claimed in store from a National Lottery retailer – that is, an authorised store or outlet where you can purchase lottery tickets, like newsagents, supermarkets, and petrol stations.

Prizes over £500 and up to and including £50,000 can be claimed online. For prizes over £50,000, and monthly prize winnings (Set For Life), winning ticket holders should call the National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to confirm and arrange the winning claim.

If your ticket has been damaged or destroyed, you still may be able to make a valid claim, but an appeal should be filed within 30 days of the draw date.

Let’s be honest: hitting the jackpot isn’t easy. The odds are slim, but there are ways to improve your chances and spend less money while pursuing that life-changing prize.

Lottery syndicates have been popular for as long as the draws themselves – and for good reason. By pooling resources with others, you can boost your odds of winning.

Sure, you’ll have to share the prize, but when it’s a £100 million EuroMillions jackpot, does that really matter?

This is the clever ethos behind Lotto Social, an online syndicate anyone can join in. Not everyone will have a syndicate at work, or in a pub, or a sports club, so this opens the opportunities up to the wider public.

With its simple online platform, Lotto Social unlocks far more opportunities for wins, whether they are big wins or small wins, by increasing the number of entries you’re getting.

It’s completely free to join, so you’re in control of how much you’re spending, and you choose the syndicates you join, and the prizes you’re hoping for. You can even opt in to international lotteries to increase your chances of a win even further.

A ticket-holder is yet to come forward after becoming a millionaire in the October 10, 2025 Lotto draw. The winning numbers were 6, 8, 12, 33, 49, and 59, with bonus ball 42. The winning ticket was purchased in the London Borough of Bexley, and the prize must be claimed by April 2.

Someone became a millionaire in the November 1, 2025 Lotto draw with the numbers 9, 17, 18, 31, 36, 39, 51 (Bonus 29), but they haven’t come forward yet. The winning ticket was bought in South Gloucestershire, and the prize must be claimed by April 30.

A EuroMillions prize from the November 4, 2025 draw is still unclaimed. The winning ticket was bought in the Unitary Authority of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and the lucky ticket-holder has until May 5 to come forward and claim their prize.

A second EuroMillions prize from the December 12, 2025 draw remains unclaimed. The winning ticket was purchased in Powys, and the holder has until June 10 to come forward and claim the prize.

EuroMillions – £124,067.00

A third EuroMillions prize from the draw on January 2, 2026 is still waiting to be claimed. The winning ticket was bought in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, and the lucky holder has until July 1 to step forward and collect the prize.

EuroMillions – £177,547.30

A fourth EuroMillions prize from the draw on January 16, 2026 remains unclaimed. The winning ticket was purchased in Watford, and the holder has until July 15 to come forward and claim the prize.

A fifth EuroMillions prize from the March 13, 2026 draw is still waiting to be claimed. The winning ticket was bought in Hartlepool, and the lucky holder has until September 9 to step forward and collect their winnings.