UK Lotteries: National Lottery Games, Draw Days, Prizes and Odds
Last updated Written by Lottery reporter
The UK lotteries you can buy a ticket for in shops and online are almost all part of The National Lottery, run by Allwyn under a licence from the Gambling Commission. It offers six draw games, from Lotto on Wednesday and Saturday to the new UK version of Powerball. Below you find what each game costs, when it is drawn and what your real chance of winning is.
UK lotteries in 30 seconds
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Main lottery | The National Lottery |
| Operator | Allwyn (since February 2024, before that Camelot) |
| Regulator | Gambling Commission |
| Draw games | Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, Set For Life, Powerball, HotPicks |
| Cheapest line | £1 (Thunderball, Lotto HotPicks) |
| Draws | Every day of the week |
| Minimum age | 18, for draw games and scratchcards |
| Claim period | 180 days after the draw |
Which lotteries are there in the UK?
The National Lottery started in 1994 and runs all of the UK’s big jackpot games. Each game has its own format and its own odds, so the right choice depends on whether you want a big jackpot or a better chance of any prize.
| Game | Price | Draws | Top prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto | £2 | Wed, Sat | Jackpot, from £2 million |
| EuroMillions | £2.50 | Tue, Fri | Jackpot, up to €250 million |
| Thunderball | £1 | Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat | £500,000 |
| Set For Life | £1.50 | Mon, Thu | £10,000 a month for 30 years |
| Powerball (UK) | £4 | 3 times a week | Jackpot, from £12 million |
| Lotto HotPicks | £1 | Wed, Sat | Fixed prizes per play type |
Lotto: two rounds since June 2026
Lotto is still six numbers from 1 to 59 for £2, but since 10 June 2026 every draw has two rounds. Your line takes part in both, so you get two chances to win for the same price. Matching all six wins the jackpot; five numbers plus the Bonus Ball pays a fixed £1 million. The jackpot can roll over five times; after that it must be won and rolls down to the lower prizes. Lotto HotPicks moved to the same two-round format. More about prizes and rules on our UK National Lotto page.
EuroMillions and UK Millionaire Maker
EuroMillions is played in nine European countries with one shared jackpot. You pick five numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. In the UK, the £2.50 line includes an entry into UK Millionaire Maker, which pays at least one £1 million prize to a UK player in every draw. EuroMillions HotPicks is an optional side game on the same numbers.
Thunderball and Set For Life
Thunderball has the lowest price and a fixed top prize: pick five numbers from 1 to 39 and one Thunderball from 1 to 14. Set For Life pays its top prize as an income: £10,000 a month for 30 years for five numbers from 1 to 47 plus the Life Ball (1 to 10). Five numbers without the Life Ball pays £10,000 a month for one year.
Powerball in the UK
Since 21 July 2026 you can play the American Powerball through The National Lottery. UK players join the same draw in Florida, which means the draw takes place around 4 am UK time. A line costs £4: five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball from 1 to 26. The jackpot has no cap and is paid over 30 years. UK players have their own lower prizes, including £1 million for five main numbers. How the US version works, you read on our Powerball USA page.
How to play the National Lottery
- Choose a game and your numbers, or let a Lucky Dip pick them for you.
- For EuroMillions, Thunderball, Set For Life and Powerball, also choose the extra number(s): Lucky Stars, Thunderball, Life Ball or Powerball.
- Pick one draw or several draws in a row.
- Buy your ticket at a National Lottery retailer, in the official app or at national-lottery.co.uk. Online you need to be 18, live in the UK or Isle of Man, have a UK bank account and be in the UK when you buy.
- Check the results after the draw and keep your paper ticket safe. Online tickets are checked for you and stored in your account.
Sales close shortly before each draw; a ticket bought after that counts for the next draw.
UK lottery draw days and times
All times are UK time (GMT in winter, BST in summer).
| Day | Draws |
|---|---|
| Monday | Set For Life (8 pm) |
| Tuesday | EuroMillions, Thunderball, Powerball (around 4 am) |
| Wednesday | Lotto (8 pm), Thunderball |
| Thursday | Set For Life (8 pm), Powerball (around 4 am) |
| Friday | EuroMillions, Thunderball |
| Saturday | Lotto (8 pm), Thunderball |
| Sunday | Powerball (around 4 am) |
Powerball is drawn in Florida on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening US time, which is the early morning of the next day in the UK. The winning numbers of all games are on our lottery results page and on the official National Lottery website.
UK lottery prizes and winning odds
| Game | Top prize | Jackpot odds | Any prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto | Jackpot (shared) | 1 in 22,528,738 | 1 in 4.9 |
| EuroMillions | Jackpot (capped at €250m) | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 13 |
| Thunderball | £500,000 (fixed) | 1 in 8,060,598 | 1 in 13 |
| Set For Life | £10,000 a month, 30 years | 1 in 15,339,390 | – |
| Powerball (UK) | Jackpot (no cap) | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 14 |
Lotto odds are per £2 line over both rounds. The figures show the trade-off clearly: Thunderball and Set For Life give you the best chance of a life-changing prize, while EuroMillions and Powerball offer far bigger jackpots at much longer odds. A Powerball line costs twice as much as Lotto, with a jackpot that is about 13 times harder to win. Want to compare your own numbers of lines and draws? Use the lottery odds calculator.
New Lotto prize tiers (from 7 June 2026)
| Match | Prize | Odds per line |
|---|---|---|
| 6 numbers | Jackpot | 1 in 22,528,738 |
| 5 + Bonus Ball | £1,000,000 | 1 in 3,754,790 |
| 5 numbers | £1,000 | 1 in 72,208 |
| 4 numbers | £50 | 1 in 1,091 |
| 3 numbers | £10 | 1 in 48.4 |
| 2 numbers | £1 | 1 in 5.4 |
Lower prizes are fixed and paid per round. Allwyn can cap prizes in rare cases, for example after a Must Be Won draw.
UK lottery results and winning numbers
The official winning numbers appear on national-lottery.co.uk and in the National Lottery app shortly after each draw. Prize amounts for shared tiers follow once all tickets are counted. To check a paper ticket, scan it in the app or ask a retailer to check it. Tickets bought online are checked automatically and you are notified if you win. Our results overview lists the latest numbers of the UK games next to other world lotteries.
How to claim UK lottery prizes
- Deadline: claim within 180 days of the draw. Unclaimed prizes go to National Lottery good causes.
- Small prizes: collect them at a National Lottery retailer with your ticket. Online wins go straight to your account.
- Large prizes: call the National Lottery line. Allwyn checks the ticket and your identity before paying out.
- Keep your ticket: sign the back of a paper ticket. Without the ticket you cannot claim.
For UK residents, National Lottery prizes are not taxed. If you win while living elsewhere, the rules of your own country apply. Read more in do you pay tax after a National Lottery win.
Where the money goes and other UK lotteries
Roughly a quarter of every pound spent on The National Lottery goes to good causes such as sport, heritage, arts and community projects. The rest pays for prizes, lottery duty to the government, retailers and the operator.
Outside The National Lottery, the UK has society lotteries such as The Health Lottery and People’s Postcode Lottery. They raise money for charities and are regulated by the Gambling Commission, but they have smaller prizes and fewer draws. How these lotteries work, you read in what charity lotteries are.
Where can you play UK lotteries?
Inside the UK, buy official tickets from a National Lottery retailer, the app or national-lottery.co.uk. Online play is only possible for residents of the UK and Isle of Man who are physically in the UK at the moment of purchase.
From abroad you cannot buy an official ticket online. Some international ticket services buy a ticket in the UK on your behalf; others let you bet on the outcome of the draw, which is a different product. Neither is part of The National Lottery, and whether you may use them depends on the law in your country. Our ticket seller reviews explain how each service works.
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Play responsibly
You must be 18 or older to play. A lottery ticket is a game of chance, not an investment: most tickets win nothing. Set yourself a budget per week and stick to it. Need help? Contact BeGambleAware or the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or read about the signs of an early gambling addiction.
Frequently asked questions about UK lotteries
What is the cheapest UK lottery?
Thunderball and Lotto HotPicks cost £1 a line. Set For Life costs £1.50, Lotto £2, EuroMillions £2.50 and Powerball £4.
Which UK lottery has the best odds?
For the top prize, Thunderball: 1 in 8,060,598 for £500,000. For any prize, Lotto now has the best odds at about 1 in 4.9, thanks to the two rounds per draw.
What happens if nobody wins the Lotto jackpot?
It rolls over to the next draw, up to five times. If it is still not won, the jackpot must be won and is shared among the lower prize tiers.
Can I play UK lotteries if I don’t live in the UK?
Not online through The National Lottery: you must live in the UK or Isle of Man and be in the UK when you buy. Visitors can buy a ticket in a UK shop.
How long do I have to claim a prize?
180 days from the draw date. After that, the prize money goes to good causes.