DOUBLE YOUR LUCK: NEW LOTTO GIVES PLAYERS TWO CHANCES TO WIN

• More than double the number of millionaires expected to be made
• Odds of winning a prize which will improve from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9
• First new Lotto draw taking place on Wednesday 10 June

National Lottery players across the UK are about to get double the chances to change their lives as the biggest transformation since 1994 to the flagship game, Lotto, launches this week.

The new-look Lotto will give players TWO chances to win from a single ticket and is expected to make more than double the number of millionaires every year. The change significantly improves chances of winning a prize, going from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9. If that isn’t enough, the change is set to dramatically increase the number of Lotto millionaires every year, rising from around 140 per year to approximately 345 a year – that’s an extra 200 millionaires each year.

For the first time, every £2 line will automatically enter players into two separate rounds every draw night, with no change to the way people play – as they’ll still pick six numbers from 59 balls. New Lotto will go live with its first draw on Wednesday 10 June, and tickets went on sale on Sunday 7 June.

The first retail ticket was purchased by a keen player in Great Yarmouth, who bought their lines at 5.01am yesterday (7 June) for next Saturday’s draw. Meanwhile, the first online purchase came from a player in Aylesbury, who selected an advanced play option which allows players to purchase multiple tickets for future draws in one transaction, giving them two chances to win across the next four draws.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery said, “This is a huge moment for players as we enter a new era for the nation’s millionaire maker, Lotto. From now on, every ticket gives you two chances to win for the same £2 price. We’re talking more winners, more excitement and hundreds more millionaires made every year. It really could be you – not once, but twice.”

The twice-weekly Lotto draws, held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 8pm, will now follow a two-round format, with two sets of six main numbers and a Bonus Ball drawn using two separate machines. This means players can win in one round, the other, or both, all from a single Lotto line.

While the format is changing, the much-loved features of the game remain the same. Jackpots will continue to start at £2M and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won draw on the sixth. Players will still win a prize when they match two or more main numbers in a single round. There will still be two ways to become a millionaire, either by matching all six main numbers to win a jackpot prize of at least £1M, or by matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball to secure a fixed £1M prize.

The jackpot will be shared across both rounds, while all other prize tiers will continue to offer fixed cash prizes, paid per round. In addition, the Lotto HotPicks add-on game will also move to the new two-round format and will continue to be priced at £1.

Chris and Geraldine Bradley from Carmarthenshire, Wales won £3.5M in 2006 and are stars of The National Lottery’s ‘It Could Be You’ advert. Chris and Geraldine said, “We know first-hand just how life-changing a Lotto win can be. That’s why this new format is so exciting – giving players two chances to win from a single ticket means more opportunities for that same incredible moment. It’s fantastic to see even more people getting the chance to become millionaires.

“We won with our family syndicate, and there is nothing like the feeling of becoming a big winner. This new game means there will be even more lucky winners to join us and the other 8,000 plus National Lottery millionaires. All you have to do is get a ticket.”

As a new era of Lotto begins, here are ten things you may not know about The National Lottery’s flagship game:

1. The first National Lottery draw took place on Saturday, 19 November 1994, broadcast live on BBC One and hosted by Noel Edmonds. More than 22 million people tuned in – around 40% of the UK population at the time.
2. That first draw produced seven jackpot winners, each receiving £839,254.
3. The first National Lottery millionaire was created a week later, on 26 November 1994, when four ticket‑holders shared a £7,043,864 jackpot — each winning £1,760,966.
4. The largest individual Lotto winner was created on 6 April 2016, banking a jackpot of £35,133,888.
5. The second‑largest Lotto winners were David & Carol Martin, who won £33,035,323 on 9 January 2016.
6. Every Lotto ball weighs exactly 11.8g, ensuring complete consistency and fairness.
7. Lotto has created 3,931 millionaires since its launch.
8. Some players have quirky tactics for choosing numbers. One famously let his pet chicken Kiev peck numbers on a calculator – a method that resulted in a £1M win. Kiev was swiftly renamed Lucky after matching 5 main numbers + the Bonus Ball on Lotto.
9. Lotto has funded life-changing projects across the UK. Since 1994, The National Lottery has raised over £53BN for Good Causes, supporting communities, sport, arts and heritage nationwide.
10. Lotto draws have taken place thousands of times since 1994. With draws held twice a week since 1997, there have now been well over 3,000 Lotto draws, creating winners across the UK every single week.

More info on the new Lotto can be found here:

• Lotto: national-lottery.co.uk/new-lotto / Lotto
• HotPicks: national-lottery.co.uk/new-lotto-hotpicks