UK Players Urged To Check Tickets After Record EuroMillions Win
The hunt is on for the UK’s biggest lottery winner of all time after a single EuroMillions ticket from the country matched all the numbers on Tuesday 8th October to land £170 million. The lucky player has 180 days from the date of the draw to come forward.
Tuesday’s draw had to be won after the jackpot had stayed at its €190 million cap four times in a row - the most that is allowed under the rules of the game. In the fifth draw at €190 million, the money goes to the highest prize category in which there are winners.
However, there was no need for the jackpot to roll down to players in a lower category on Tuesday as one participant finally matched all the winning numbers - 7, 10, 15, 44 and 49, plus Lucky Stars 3 and 12 - for the first time since Friday 19th July.
Andy Carter, the UK National Lottery’s Senior Winners’ Advisor, said: “What a stunning night for UK players. Everyone should check their tickets to see if they are the lucky winner. Once we have a call we will start to support the ticket holder as they start enjoying their life-changing win.”
When Will The Prize Be Claimed?
The jackpot could now be claimed anytime up to 5th April 2020. If nobody comes forward before that deadline, the money will be transferred to the Good Causes Fund to support various charitable projects throughout the UK.
Most winners claim their prizes within a week or two of the draw taking place, but some players may prefer to take a bit of time to let the news sink in, or they may not check their tickets very regularly.
The National Lottery will not disclose any information about the winning ticket in the first couple of weeks after a draw, leaving the player to come forward in their own time in case they wish to remain anonymous or at least keep details of where they purchased their ticket a secret.
However, lottery officials will then announce the area where the entry was bought - if it was a retail purchase rather than online - approximately 14 days later. This is to raise awareness in that particular location that there has been a big winner, in case the player has forgotten to check their entries.
Publicity events will even take place in the winning area, with the lottery sending out members of its team to try and jog people’s memories. Anyone who has lost a ticket in the area and thinks they might have won should contact the National Lottery with as much information as they can about where and when they played, so that this can be checked against official records. However, appeals such as this must be submitted within 30 days of the draw. If the National Lottery is satisfied that someone has lost the winning ticket, they may be paid out once 180 days have passed if nobody else has come forward.
After 30 days, it is only possible to receive a prize by coming forward with a valid winning ticket. Big winners will then be asked whether they wish to go public or keep their identity private.
The two biggest winners in the UK before Tuesday’s draw both opted for publicity. Colin and Christine Weir from Scotland landed £161 million back in July 2011, before Adrian and Gillian Bayford landed £148 million in August 2012. It remains to be seen whether the latest winner follows suit.
It is only the fourth time that EuroMillions’ maximum prize of €190 million has been won, and extends a remarkable year that has seen several nine-figure jackpots awarded already. Draws continue every Tuesday and Friday night and you can see the latest EuroMillions Results after every draw.