The National Lottery's digital platforms are preparing for a significant transformation, with a planned 24-hour shutdown of its website and mobile applications scheduled for this weekend.
When and Why the Services Go Offline
From 11 pm on Saturday, 24 January 2026, until late on Sunday night, the national-lottery.co.uk site and its iOS and Android apps will be completely inaccessible. This essential downtime is required to implement what operator Allwyn describes as a "major upgrade" to its online systems.
Players will be able to log in and participate in online games right up until the 11 pm cut-off point on Saturday. The scheduled Lotto and Thunderball draws for that evening will still take place from 8 pm as normal.
How to Play and Check Results During the Outage
While the digital channels are down, participants will not be left completely in the dark. Tickets will remain available for purchase at over 43,500 National Lottery retailers nationwide. For those eager to see results, prize breakdowns will be broadcast on YouTube and displayed in retail outlets.
Winnings of up to £500 from tickets bought in physical stores can be claimed in the usual way during the shutdown period.
What Changes to Expect After the Upgrade
Allwyn has indicated that players will encounter "a few" alterations once services resume. These will include a new payment screen and a streamlined process for checking results, playing games, and claiming prizes, which the company promises will be "even simpler."
The upgrade forms a crucial part of Allwyn's ongoing "transformation journey," which involves migrating the accounts of 11.8 million active registered players to a new platform. The revamped digital channels aim to offer the largest ever selection of National Lottery games, alongside improved player protection tools and a refreshed visual design that retains a familiar feel for existing users.
Significant new safety features will be introduced, including:
- Mandatory personal deposit and spend limits for all new customers.
- Automatic logouts after 60 minutes of inactivity, followed by a 10-minute cooling-off period.
- Regular 20-minute "reality check" reminders for players of instant win games.
App users with auto-updates enabled will receive the new version automatically, while others will be prompted to update when they next open the application.
The Bigger Picture for The National Lottery
Allwyn's Chief Executive, Andria Vidler, stated that these digital improvements are a "springboard for even more exciting plans coming in the months ahead." She framed the work as a milestone in making The National Lottery more player-focused, with ambitions for new games, more winners, and greater support for Good Causes.
The company has set an ambitious target to double weekly returns to Good Causes from £30 million to £60 million by 2034. This weekend's upgrade follows a previous 36-hour pause in sales and payouts at the end of July, which was billed as the biggest technology upgrade in the lottery's 31-year history.
Once the maintenance is complete, players will be able to log in as usual to experience the new-look digital service.
