You could lose £1MILLION if you don’t take 2 key actions now, National Lottery warns – as deadline to claim approaches
EXPERTS have warned lottery fans not to make one stupid mistake and lose out on a £1million cash prize.
On Tuesday, April 16, a lucky person hit the UK Millionaire Maker jackpot, scooping the life-changing sum.
The victor nabbed the winning stub in Rhondda Cynon Taf in south-east Wales.
The winning code was XMXB32530, and they have until October 13 to cash their ticket.
“The big prizes below have either not been claimed, or have not yet been validated and paid,” the website warned.
“We hope a lucky player comes forward in time but if a valid claim is not received within 180 days (around 6 months) of the draw date, the prize and any interest earned on it will go to benefit National Lottery Projects across the UK.
“Any unclaimed prizes 6 months past the draw date will be automatically removed.”
UK Millionaire Maker is a draw-based game which is automatically included on all EuroMillions tickets purchased in the UK, at no extra cost.
It is supplementary to the EuroMillions game, which is played across Europe, the UK Millionaire Maker works like a raffle in order to guarantee a winner in the UK.
National Lottery players generate £30m every week for National Lottery-funded projects.
This money helps fund projects across the nation, with over 670,000 grants – supporting projects both big and small – having been made across the UK to date.
It comes after a mystery EuroMillions player known only as Mrs B pocketed a sizeable £1million win on the lottery game.
The lotto player, from Essex, has become a millionaire thanks to their big win on the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw on November 3.
Elsewhere, a grandad revealed how he was a lottery winner for a whole week before realising he’d actually landed a £76,000 jackpot.
Recently retired Colin, 59, says his cautious nature could have cost him the cash – but then he spotted a camera crew at his door.
The grandad is among 10 neighbours on his Tyne and Wear street that scooped part of £1million through the People’s Postcode Lottery.
What are the rules surrounding Euromillions?
THE EuroMillions lottery is a popular transnational lottery played across several European countries.
Here are the key rules and features:
Participating Countries: The EuroMillions lottery is available in nine European countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Draws: Draws take place twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
How to Play: Players choose five main numbers from 1 to 50. They also select two “Lucky Star” numbers from 1 to 12. Alternatively, players can opt for a “Lucky Dip” where numbers are randomly selected.
Winning Combinations: There are 13 prize tiers, ranging from matching just two main numbers to hitting the jackpot by matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Star numbers. The jackpot is won by matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Star numbers.
Jackpot: The minimum guaranteed jackpot starts at €17 million. If the jackpot is not won, it rolls over to the next draw, increasing in value. The maximum jackpot cap is €240 million. Once the cap is reached, if there is no jackpot winner, additional prize money is distributed among winners in the next prize tier.
Ticket Purchase: Players must purchase tickets before the cut-off time, which is typically around 7:30 PM GMT on the day of the draw. Tickets can be bought from authorized retailers or online via official lottery websites.
Age Requirement: Players must be at least 18 years old in most participating countries (16 in the UK).
Taxes: Winnings are tax-free in some participating countries, but in others, they may be subject to taxes. For instance, in Portugal, Switzerland, and Spain, lottery winnings are taxed.
Claiming Prizes: Prizes must be claimed within a specified period, which varies by country. For example, in the UK, winners have 180 days to claim their prize. Smaller prizes can usually be claimed at retail outlets, while larger prizes might require visiting a lottery headquarters or contacting the lottery operator.
Additional Games and Variants: Some countries offer additional games linked to the EuroMillions draw, such as the UK’s Millionaire Maker or France’s My Million, where additional codes are drawn to guarantee supplementary winners.
But Colin and partner Gwen say they could have missed out on the sweet £76,923 for being too cautious.
Elsewhere, one lottery expert reveals six numbers to always avoid if you want to win big.
Lottery entrants may be surprised to hear that despite the numbers being picked at random, there are some which rank far lower than others.
Monisha and Shirley who run the account as well as the Make It Shine Money Podcast have suggested one strategy when deciding your numbers.
The self-proclaimed lottery expert then suggests people go and buy a ticket after watching the video.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it.