It’s Saturday night and the National Lottery is back with another chance to win big. Tonight’s Lotto jackpot stands at £3.8 million after Wednesday’s rollover, giving one lucky ticketholder the opportunity to wake up as a millionaire.
Alongside the main draw, the Thunderball takes place at 8.15pm with a £500,000 prize up for grabs, offering better odds for a substantial win. The Lotto numbers are drawn at 8pm, with the Thunderball results announced shortly after in our live blog updates.
For context, the biggest Lotto win on record is £35 million in April 2016 by an anonymous player. In January 2016, two ticket-holders each scooped £33 million. Before that, a main Lotto jackpot of £42,008,610 was drawn in January 1996 and split among three anonymous winners, each taking home £14,002,870. A separate New Year’s Eve draw in 2016 saw a single ticket win £26.4 million.
The UK National Lottery first launched on November 19, 1994. About half of every pound spent goes into the prize fund, with 28% allocated to good causes, 12% paid as Government duty, 5% to retailers, and 5% to cover the operating costs that have run the lottery throughout its history.
If you’re playing tonight, remember that the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are about 1 in 45 million. Play responsibly and only bet what you can afford. Even if the night doesn’t end with a life-changing win, the lottery continues to fund good causes and provide entertainment for players across the country.
Summary: A fresh Saturday night with a £3.8m Lotto prize and a £500k Thunderball prize, plus a slice of history about past big wins and how the National Lottery funds good causes and operations. A hopeful night for players, balanced with a reminder to play responsibly.
Additional note: If you’d like, I can tailor this with quotes from organizers, practical tips for responsible play, or a quick explainer on how rollovers affect prize odds.