Three major EuroMillions prizes worth millions remain unclaimed as National Lottery launches urgent search
A lucky lottery ticket holder from Liverpool is walking around unaware they have won £1 million – and they have just weeks left to claim their life-changing prize.
The mystery player won the seven-figure sum in a EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, but has yet to come forward. With the deadline of 13 August fast approaching, National Lottery operator Allwyn has launched an urgent appeal to find the winner.
The winning ticket matched the Millionaire Maker code, which every EuroMillions player is automatically entered into. Liverpool residents are being urged to check old tickets, coat pockets and forgotten drawers before time runs out.
Kathy Garrett, a winners’ advisor for Allwyn, urged players to search thoroughly for the missing ticket. “Rummage through your warm coats and double-check that this winning ticket hasn’t inadvertently been stowed away with your hats, scarves and gloves,” she said.
The Liverpool prize is one of three £1 million wins currently unclaimed across the UK. A ticket purchased in St Albans City & District for the 10 May draw remains unclaimed, with the winner having until 6 November to come forward.
A third million-pound prize from a ticket bought in Birmingham on 24 May has a deadline of 20 November. All three winners matched their unique Millionaire Maker codes but appear unaware of their good fortune.
Beyond the million-pound prizes, several other substantial EuroMillions winnings await collection. A player from Barnet in London won £106,738.50 by matching five main numbers in a draw on 7 February but has until 6 August to claim.
The Barnet winner matched the numbers 20, 23, 24, 29, 45 plus Lucky Stars 8 and 10. With less than a month remaining, time is running critically short for this six-figure prize.
Garrett shared a remarkable story to illustrate why thorough searching is essential. We once had a builder who claimed a whopping £50,000,000 ticket days before it expired after he had left the winning ticket in the sun visor of his work van,” she revealed.
The advisor emphasised that winners should check vehicles as well as homes, noting that tickets can end up in the most unexpected places during daily routines.
All National Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date. If winners fail to come forward, the money plus any accrued interest goes to the National Lottery Community Fund, which supports projects across the UK.
For prizes over £500 and up to £50,000, winners can claim online through the National Lottery website. However, for prizes exceeding £50,000, including all Millionaire Maker wins, ticket holders must call 0333 234 50 50 to arrange collection.
The unclaimed prizes come as lottery fever continues to grip the nation following a record-breaking EuroMillions win. On 17 June, a single ticket holder in Ireland won the maximum jackpot of €250 million (£208 million), purchased in County Cork.
The Irish winner claimed their prize after three days, becoming the 18th EuroMillions jackpot winner in Ireland since the game began in 2004. The sum represents the maximum possible under current cap rules.
Had the jackpot been won in the UK, it would have made the ticket holder the biggest winner in British EuroMillions history, surpassing the £195 million won by an anonymous UK player in July 2022.
Currently, millions of pounds in lottery prizes remain unclaimed across Britain. Recent figures show that at any given time, numerous winning tickets go uncollected, often because players are unaware they have won smaller tier prizes.
The National Lottery regularly publishes lists of unclaimed prizes on its website, providing details of where tickets were purchased and deadlines for claiming. Players can check their tickets against these lists even months after draws have taken place.
Winners who discover damaged or destroyed tickets may still be able to claim prizes by filing an appeal within 30 days of the draw date, providing they can supply sufficient evidence of their purchase.
As the August deadline approaches for the Liverpool winner, the race is on to ensure this million-pound prize doesn’t slip through someone’s fingers. Local lottery retailers have been alerted to remind customers to check old tickets.
The three unclaimed millionaire maker prizes represent just a fraction of the life-changing wins created by the National Lottery each year. Since its launch, the lottery has created over 6,700 millionaires across the UK.
For now, three individuals remain blissfully unaware that their lives could be transformed – if only they can find their winning tickets in time.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit:
Butlletes de joc de l’Euro Milions d’Espanya, Regne Unit i França – Image by Amadalvarez, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
View Image
