A mystery Welsh lottery winner has officially missed out on their £1,000,000 prize after it went unclaimed. Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, today announced that the £1m prize from the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker draw on April 16, 2024, had remained unclaimed for more than 180 days after the draw took place.
The National Lottery had been appealing to find the owner of the winning ticket, which was bought in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The deadline for the winner to come forward was midnight on Sunday, October 13, so now the money, plus the interest it has earned since it was ‘won’, will be passed over to help National Lottery-funded projects.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery, said: “Unfortunately, I can confirm that the ticket-holder did not come forward within the deadline to claim their prize and has now sadly missed out on this substantial amount of money. However, the money will now add to the £30m raised each week for National Lottery-funded projects.”
Projects that have benefitted from National Lottery funding in Rhondda Cynon Taf include Striking Awards Limited, who were awarded £15,230 in March, 2024, to offer social cohesion through creative experiences for older people experiencing loneliness and isolation. The Rhondda Hearing Impaired Support Group was also awarded a £18,025 grant in May, 2024, to purchase accessibility equipment and facilitate combined day trips for members of hard of hearing groups within the county.
With all National Lottery draws, players have 180 days (about six months) from the day of the draw to claim their prize if they have the winning ticket. All prizes that do not receive a valid claim after 180 days, and any interest they have earned, add to the £30M raised each week for National Lottery-funded projects. Players can check their tickets online by downloading the National Lottery app or at national-lottery.co.uk. Players can also check tickets in retail.
Playing online via the app or website means that your ticket is checked, and you get an email notification if you win a prize. You can also scan your retail tickets on the National Lottery app to check if you’re a winner. Anyone who has any queries or who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on 0333 234 5050 or email [email protected].
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