The National Lottery

[diy_fun_uk]

(please, no replies along the lines of 'waste of money' ... 'it's all fixed' ... 'more chance of meeting the pope in the pub than winning big' ... 'it's just a mugs tax' etc )

For those on here who play any of The National Lottery games either regularly or just occasionally e.g. Lotto, EuroMillions etc, if you're happy to divulge, what's the most you've ever won?

I've just won £81 on Lotto, matched 3 balls. I think it's maybe the biggest win I've had although there might have been a ~ £100 win years ago. Other than that I've had a few lucky dips, tenners etc. Given I've been playing since it was launched in 1994, I've not exactly been all that lucky with wins, still, in it to win and all that.

 

[foxhole]

Don’t have any notable wins, but had £50,000 in premium bonds for a couple of years before spending on the house, wins ( between £25 and £150 a month)returned about 1.9% a year which was better than bank rates at the time.Back in early 80’s won £500 on the “pools”, just missing out on a million win after I changed one of my regular numbers.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Not me, but a mate of mine got 5 numbers on the national lottery saturday draw about 18 months ago. Got 1,800 quid.

I'm sure back in the day it was a good couple of hundred k for 5 numbers. Hardly seems worth it now.

I only ever play when Euro mills is about £50m, always a lucky dip.

 

[crystal ball]

Won about £1200 in late 90s, used to buy tickets regularly, hardly at all now

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Not me, but a mate of mine got 5 numbers on the national lottery saturday draw about 18 months ago. Got 1,800 quid.

I'm sure back in the day it was a good couple of hundred k for 5 numbers. Hardly seems worth it now.

I only ever play when Euro mills is about £50m, always a lucky dip.

Yeah I play Euro when it hits £70+ million. tbh I think Lotto should still be £1 a ticket and Euros no more than £2. Yeah prizes would be less but even so. I think when they introduced more balls into Lotto (thus increasing the odds quite a bit) they tried to compensate by saying prizes would be worth more.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Won about £1200 in late 90s, used to buy tickets regularly, hardly at all now

I probably wouldn't play every week, however we made the mistake of choosing numbers that meant something to us (it was a common thing to do when it first started) so they're kind of engrained on my brain. Put it this way, the few times I've forgot to buy over the years, I've had to try my best to avoid any kind of results show or numbers shown online!

 

[securespark]

Like kingandy, I play when the prize is megamoney. I only play EuroMillions these days. I also only do lucky dips. When the lottery started, I played a few times using house numbers DoBs etc...

Most I won was about 5 years ago on a Euro Millions lucky dip with was around £120.

 

[JP_]

I think I won the odd tenner back in the 90s when it started.
Not played in years. My wife has a small syndicate of ex-work colleagues, but they never win.

The odds have dropped loads. Used to be 14,000,000-1 to win, now about 45,057,474-1
No chance these days.

I don't know, but I reckon you would be better off just putting £100 on a horse in a big race once a year, than playing £2 a week ... or sticking it all on a number on roulette...

 

[securespark]

I still have my ticket from the first draw on 19 November 1994.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I still have my ticket from the first draw on 19 November 1994.

I was on a night shift for the first draw. I remember those of us that had tickets giving out a combined groan when someone told us the numbers

 

[crystal ball]

I was at a fortieth birthday bash, the DJ halted the music to announce the result, I remember going to the loo later and saw my FIL drying his hands on the karaoke guys shirt which was hanging on a peg(it doubled as his changing room)

 

[gas112]

got 5 numbers in works syndicate and got 1700 got 5 on my own and got 500 quid guy ten doors up won 500,000 . One mate won 1.2 million on a lucky dip and another few mates were part of a syndicate that won 38 million on euro millions and know another guy who won 2 million quite a lucky town for wins another guy won 1 million on the raffle about 8 weeks ago.
Oh and another young bird who won 400k and got half a dozen of her mates new thruppeny bits with one of her mates i knew saying can i just have a car instead which she bought her

 

[mattylad]

I think I've more chance of winning something by having a skinny dip than a lucky dip.

In fact my last lucky dip was free because the person on the tills put it through wrong so gave it to me anyway.
Odds of winning are - Match 5 + 2 Lucky Stars 1 in 139,838,160 so pretty good odds (not) lol

 

[big-all]

got 5 numbers in works syndicate and got 1700 got 5 on my own and got 500 quid guy ten doors up won 500,000 . One mate won 1.2 million on a lucky dip and another few mates were part of a syndicate that won 38 million on euro millions and know another guy who won 2 million quite a lucky town for wins another guy won 1 million on the raffle about 8 weeks ago.
Oh and another young bird who won 400k and got half a dozen of her mates new thruppeny bits with one of her mates i knew saying can i just have a car instead which she bought her

its really really pointless playing any game with more than perhaps £500 prize
its better to have a 5000 x£500 prizes than than 2x2m and 2x £500 prizes
if you are playing to win say 10 million might as well set up your standing order for £5 a week and hope you reach about 1000 years old to reach a few% chance off winning
i used to play the railway convalescence woking homes draw in the 80s about half went to prizes £2 a week and £2000 total prizes over perhaps 15-20 years but a good cause

 

[gas112]

its really really pointless playing any game with more than perhaps £500 prize
its better to have a 5000 x£500 prizes than than 2x2m and 2x £500 prizes
if you are playing to win say 10 million might as well set up your standing order for £5 a week and hope you reach about 1000 years old to reach a few% chance off winning
i used to play the railway convalescence woking homes draw in the 80s about half went to prizes £2 a week and £2000 total prizes over perhaps 15-20 years but a good cause

its not pointless if you do win the jackpot