A lottery player has missed out on a life-changing £10.6 million jackpot after failing to claim their prize within the mandatory 180-day deadline. The winning Lotto ticket, purchased in Bexley, south-east London, on October 4, 2025, went unclaimed despite an extensive search by the National Lottery. With the cut-off passing last Thursday, the substantial sum will now be donated to the good causes supported by the lottery.
Unprecedented Loss of a Major Prize
A spokesperson for Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, stated that while smaller prizes often go unclaimed, it is highly unusual for a jackpot of this magnitude to remain uncollected. The spokesperson emphasised the rarity of such an event, highlighting the significant impact this forfeiture has on both the potential winner and the lottery system.
Current Unclaimed Prizes and Community Impact
Currently, there are five major National Lottery prizes worth over £3.2 million that have yet to be claimed, including three £1 million EuroMillions or Lotto tickets. Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, confirmed that despite efforts to locate the mystery Bexley millionaire, the ticket-holder did not come forward.
Carter noted: “The money will now benefit Good Causes and add to the £33 million raised each week for National Lottery-funded projects, several of which can be found in the Bexley area.”
National Lottery players have previously supported various projects in Bexley, such as The Exchange Erith, a community-led arts and crafts organisation, and the You and Me Happy Family Children’s Disability Trust, which provides inclusive support for disabled children and their carers.
Recent Lottery Draw Results
In related news, Saturday’s Lotto jackpot is estimated at £3.9 million after no player won Wednesday’s top prize. In the latest draw, no ticket-holders matched all six main numbers for the jackpot. However, one player matched five numbers and the bonus ball to win £1 million, while 56 players each won £1,750 for matching five of the six numbers.
The winning Lotto numbers were: 07, 16, 23, 27, 35, 40, with a bonus number of 48. In the Lotto HotPicks, which uses the same numbers, no players matched all five numbers to win, but four matched four numbers to claim £13,000.
For the Thunderball draw, the winning numbers were: 02, 07, 20, 23, 28, with the Thunderball number 07. No players matched five numbers and the Thunderball to win the £500,000 top prize, while two won £5,000 for matching five numbers.
