National Lottery players across the UK are already seeing the benefits of the biggest transformation to Lotto since 1994, with three millionaires created in the first Saturday draw on 13 June.  

Launched last week, new Lotto gives players two chances to win from a single £2 ticket with a new two-round format, and early results show the game is delivering on its promise of more winners, more chances to win, and more millionaires. The change improves players’ chances of winning any prize from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9 and is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345.

The three lucky ticket-holders who matched five main numbers and the Bonus Ball in Saturday’s draw to win £1m each ALL won their prizes in Round 2 – that’s what two chances to win looks like! And, amazingly, 37% of all winning tickets in Saturday’s draw won in Round 2 ONLY (not in Round 1) – all these winning tickets would not have won under the old format, when only one set of balls was drawn.

For the first time in Lotto history, every line automatically enters players into two separate rounds per draw, using two sets of numbers drawn from 59 balls. This new structure is already having a significant impact:

• Three millionaires were made in Saturday’s draw, including one person who won twice – £1m on one line and £1 on the other! 
• 37% of all winning tickets in Saturday’s draw won in Round 2 ONLY – all these winning tickets would not have won under the old format, when only one set of balls was drawn
• Over 1.4m total winners in the first draw and over 1.7m in Saturday’s draw, making over 3.1m cash prize winners so far
• Of these 3.1m winners, over 1.1m of them were sold in retail – demonstrating strong in-store engagement alongside digital play
• More prizes awarded overall despite no jackpot winners, with tonight’s draw (17 June) jackpot now estimated at £4.7m
• 183,731 individual tickets won in BOTH Round 1 and Round 2 on Saturday, and 172,442 also won in BOTH Rounds on Wednesday

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said, “This is the biggest change to Lotto in a generation, and we recognise it’s a shift for players to get used to the new two-round format. This gives players two goes in every draw to scoop a £1m-plus prize, at both the jackpot and match five plus Bonus Ball tiers.

“That’s why it’s important to look at how the game is performing, and the early results are clear. All three new Lotto millionaires made on Saturday won in Round 2 – showing the power of the new two-round format. In fact, 37% of winning tickets only won in Round 2 in Saturday’s draw – creating entirely new winners who would not have won under the previous format. 

“Overall, more than 3.1m players have now won a cash prize on the new game and it’s still all to play for, with an estimated £4.7m Lotto jackpot up for grabs tonight (17 June).”

The twice-weekly Lotto draws, held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 8 pm, 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 – and are winning – in one round, the other, or both, all from a single Lotto line. 

While the format has changed, the much-loved features of the game remain the same. Jackpots continue to start at £2m and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won draw on the sixth. Players still win a prize when they match two or more main numbers in a single round. There are also still 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 is now shared across both rounds, while all other prize tiers continue to offer fixed cash prizes, paid per round. In addition, the Lotto HotPicks add-on game has also moved to the new two-round format and continue to be priced at £1.

More info on the new Lotto can be found here: https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/new-lotto / Lotto HotPicks: https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/new-lotto-hotpicks 

About Allwyn and The National Lottery

Allwyn operates The National Lottery® under licence, raising vital funds that help communities thrive across the UK. Every ticket makes a difference - from grassroots sport and local arts to heritage and community initiatives. Distribution of funds is managed by independent bodies.

• The annual Lotto millionaire figure is estimated, based on statistical game modelling over a 12-month period.
• The £1m minimum guaranteed Lotto jackpot share and fixed prizes on Lotto at the lower tiers are subject to prize capping rules in exceptional circumstances.
• Players of The National Lottery raise around £33m every week for National Lottery-funded projects. Since its launch in 1994, more than £53bn has been raised, funding over 680,000 Good Cause projects in every part of the UK.  In every postcode district, most people will have benefited from a National Lottery-funded project at some point.      

• The National Lottery has awarded players over £103bn in prize money, creating more than 8,000 millionaires.

• Learn more about Allwyn and The National Lottery at www.allwyn.co.uk and www.national-lottery.co.uk.

• Explore projects funded in your area at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.

• Players must be 18 or over. Please play responsibly.

Press enquiries: Allwyn Press Office – 020 7632 5711