Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has announced the next step in its transformation journey with a major upgrade to its website and mobile apps taking place from 11pm on Saturday 24 January until the end of Sunday 25 January 2026.

During this time, The National Lottery website (national-lottery.co.uk), as well as The National Lottery iOS and Android apps, will be taken offline so that these important updates can take place. This includes migrating the accounts for The National Lottery’s 11.8m active registered players to a brand new account management system.

This upgrade is part of Allwyn’s transformation plans to bring The National Lottery into the modern era. The new digital channels will offer the largest ever range of National Lottery games, improved player protection tools, and a refreshed look and feel, while keeping the experience familiar for existing players.  

Once the upgrade is complete, players will be able to log in as usual, with helpful guides and FAQs available to support them through any changes. Crucially, these digital improvements are a springboard for even more exciting plans coming in the months ahead.

Andria Vidler, Allwyn’s CEO, said: “These much-needed digital upgrades mark another milestone in our transformation to make The National Lottery more player-focused, with new games, more winners, and greater support for Good Causes. This is just the beginning of an exciting year for Allwyn and The National Lottery, as we work towards our ambitious goal to double weekly returns to Good Causes from £30m a week at the start of the licence to £60m by 2034.”

What does this mean for National Lottery players?

Players will be able to log in and play online until 11pm on Saturday (24 January), and the Lotto and Thunderball draws will take place as usual from 8pm that evening. Once the website and app go offline, players can still buy tickets at retailers nationwide. Results and prize breakdowns will be available on YouTube and in The National Lottery’s 43,500 retail partners, and winnings on retail tickets up to £500 can be claimed in-store as usual. Allwyn’s Customer Care team will be on hand to support players too.

Once the website and apps are back online, players will notice a few changes – such as a new payment screen – and will find the process of results checking, playing games and claiming prizes even simpler with videos and FAQs on key changes to the site and apps available to guide players through this.

App users with auto-updates enabled will receive the new version automatically; others will be prompted to update when they next load the app.

A continued commitment to responsible play

As well as a refreshed look and feel, Allwyn is also introducing new measures to further strengthen its industry-leading player protection standards and tools. This includes mandatory personal deposit and spend limit setting for all new customers, as well as automatic logouts after 60 minutes (with a 10-minute cooling-off period) and regular 20-minute reality checks for instant game players.  

Allwyn will also be launching new analytics functionality to help identify potentially risky play behaviours earlier, and a dedicated standalone responsible play website which will provide additional support and resources. This will sit independently from the main National Lottery website and will be accessible in different ways, such as via a QR code in store.  

Why is this happening?

These digital upgrades are part of Allwyn’s £400m-plus investment to restore the magic of The National Lottery, deliver more winners, and raise even more money for Good Causes. They follow on from new state-of-the-art lottery terminals which have already been rolled out to over 40,000 retailers, with faster in-store transactions and an improved experience for retailers and players alike.

Keeping players informed

Over the next few days, there are several activities to deliver before gaining final approval for this date. This includes completing all final checks and informing players about the upgrades – so players should keep an eye on The National Lottery website and apps for the most up-to-date information.