Big EuroMillions Prize Claimed After Five Months
Last Updated: Friday 13th March 2020, 11:16
A EuroMillions prize worth £1.8 million has finally been claimed more than five months after the draw took place. The lucky winner from Dorset came forward just a few weeks before their ticket would have expired.
The prize dates back to the draw on Friday 4th October 2019, when a record-breaking run of rollovers had pushed the jackpot up to €190 million - the highest it could go at the time. The ticket matched all five main numbers and one of the Lucky Stars.
There were fears that the big winner had forgotten to check their ticket and might not claim their money in time. The deadline for claiming any National Lottery prize is 180 days after a draw, so this award would have run out on 1st April.
However, they have now staked a claim and received their prize. Andy Carter, the National Lottery’s Senior Winners’ Advisor, said: “We're delighted that the winner of this amazing prize has now come forward and we hope that they will enjoy their win. It would have been awful if the ticket holder had missed out on this life-changing amount of money.”
The EuroMillions jackpot ended up being given away in the following draw on Tuesday 8th October, when an anonymous player pocketed £170 million to become the UK’s biggest-ever lottery winner.
Dorset Jackpot Remains Unclaimed
A UK player also won the jackpot on Tuesday 3rd December, but they have not yet come forward to claim their money. The ticket for that draw, worth more than £40 million, was also purchased in Dorset.
The news that another big prize from Dorset has just been claimed shows that winners do sometimes leave it late, but it is rare for jackpots not to be paid out for several months. The final date for the £40 million winner to claim is 31st May.
Any prizes that remain unclaimed after 180 days are given to the National Lottery’s Good Causes Fund to help worthy projects across the UK. Go to the Unclaimed Prizes page to see a list of all the awards that are still outstanding.
Draws To Continue Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
The National Lottery has provided assurances that draws will continue to take place as scheduled amid the coronavirus outbreak. A spokesperson for Camelot said: “In line with Public Health England advice, we temporarily closed our Watford Head Office earlier this week while we carried out a deep clean.
“We have now reopened the office to business-critical employees and have asked those who are able to work from home to do so for the remainder of this week. Please rest assured that The National Lottery will continue to operate as normal and draws will happen as planned.
“We will continue to speak to the relevant authorities to determine next steps. We are advising colleagues who had direct contact with the affected employee to seek medical advice via NHS 111, and to contact their manager if they begin to feel unwell. Our priority is the health of our employees and we are keeping them fully informed of developments, as well as providing them with advice in relation to coronavirus.”