Lotto
Check all the essential information about the Lotto: latest results, winning numbers, next draw date, and jackpot amount. You can also access the complete draw history to analyze the results and track the progression of the prizes.
Lotto
Latest results
£12,000,000Information
The UK Lotto: Britain's Flagship Lottery
Since its inception in the mid-1990s, the UK Lotto has established itself as an iconic cultural institution and the flagship game of the National Lottery. Millions of players across the United Kingdom tune in twice a week, drawn by life-changing jackpots and the knowledge that a portion of every ticket sold goes toward funding essential public and community projects.
A Brief History of the Game
The UK National Lottery was launched on November 19, 1994, under the operation of Camelot Group, introducing the British public to a simple 6/49 lottery matrix. The first draw captivated the nation, instantly shifting the landscape of British gambling and philanthropy.
In 2002, the game underwent a major rebranding and was renamed "Lotto" to distinguish it from an expanding portfolio of other lottery products. For over two decades, the format remained remarkably stable. However, in October 2015, structural updates were introduced to create larger rolling jackpots. The matrix expanded from 49 numbers to 59 numbers, and a complimentary prize for matching two main numbers was added. In early 2024, stewardship of the National Lottery officially transitioned to Allwyn Entertainment, marking a new chapter for the historic game while maintaining its beloved core mechanics.
Principles of the Game
The UK Lotto is straightforward to play, yet it relies on a specific set of rules governing selection, secondary numbers, and rollover limits that differentiate it from other global lotteries.
Number of Numbers to Pick: To enter a standard line in the UK Lotto, players must select six main numbers from a pool ranging from 1 to 59. Players can choose their own numbers or opt for a "Lucky Dip," which generates six randomly selected numbers via a computer algorithm. Each standard play line costs £2.00.
The Bonus Ball: During the live draw, six main numbers are drawn from the machine first. Immediately afterward, a seventh number—known as the Bonus Ball—is drawn from the remaining 53 balls in the pool. Crucially, players do not choose a Bonus Ball when buying their ticket. The Bonus Ball exists strictly to boost the prize value for players who have already correctly matched exactly five of the six main numbers. If a player’s ticket contains five of the main winning numbers plus the number drawn as the Bonus Ball, they ascend to the second-highest prize tier (£1,000,000).
The Rollover System ("Must Be Won" Draws): If no player correctly matches all six main numbers in a given draw, the jackpot "rolls over" to the next scheduled draw, adding to the top prize pool. To prevent the jackpot from growing indefinitely, the UK Lotto employs a strict five-draw rollover limit. If the jackpot is not won for five consecutive draws, the fifth rollover becomes a designated "Must Be Won" draw. If no player matches all six main numbers in this final draw, a Jackpot Rolldown occurs: the entire jackpot amount is distributed among all other cash prize winners who matched 2 or more main numbers, significantly inflating standard lower-tier payouts.
Prize Tiers and Odds of Winning
The UK Lotto features six distinct prize tiers, ranging from a free ticket wrapper for matching two main numbers up to the multi-million-pound jackpot. The overall odds of winning any prize on a single UK Lotto play line are approximately 1 in 9.3.
| Prize Tier / Match Combination | Standard Prize Amount | Approximate Odds of Winning (Per Line) |
|---|---|---|
| Match 6 (Main Numbers) | Jackpot (Multi-Million) | 1 in 45,057,474 |
| Match 5 + Bonus Ball | £1,000,000 | 1 in 7,509,579 |
| Match 5 (Main Numbers Only) | £1,750 | 1 in 144,415 |
| Match 4 (Main Numbers Only) | £140 | 1 in 2,180 |
| Match 3 (Main Numbers Only) | £30 | 1 in 96.2 |
| Match 2 (Main Numbers Only) | Free Lotto Lucky Dip | 1 in 10.3 |
Note: Cash prizes from Match 3 to Match 5 + Bonus are fixed amounts during standard draws, but can fluctuate substantially during a "Must Be Won" rolldown event.
Schedule for the Draw
The UK Lotto takes place twice weekly, giving players two regular opportunities to participate:
- Wednesday Draws: Results are drawn live at approximately 8:00 PM GMT/BST. Ticket sales close at 7:30 PM on the evening of the draw and reopen for the next cycle at 9:00 PM.
- Saturday Draws: Results are drawn live at approximately 7:45 PM GMT/BST. Similar to Wednesdays, ticket sales close strictly at 7:30 PM.
Draws are broadcast digitally across official National Lottery platforms, including their website and YouTube channel, allowing players to check their tickets in real time.
UK Lotto is regulated by the Gambling Commission and operated by Allwyn Entertainment. All prizes are paid as tax-free lump sums. Players must be 18 or over. Please play responsibly — the National Lottery funds over 685,000 community projects, arts, sports, and heritage initiatives across the UK.