From Engraved Swimming Pools to Luckiest Balls
CAMELOT brought us jackpot joy with the National Lottery for almost 30 thrill-filled years – but now the firm’s number is up.
Allwyn Takes Over
From next Thursday, bosses at Allwyn will take over the running of the big money game, which has turned thousands of lucky players into millionaires.
Staggering Amounts Spent
Since the Lottery’s launch under Camelot on November 19, 1994, a staggering £178BILLION has been spent on tickets, scratch cards, and online games. That is enough to fund the NHS for a full year or repair our roads for well over a decade.
No Immediate Changes
The new operator will not be making any immediate changes to games, with favorites such as Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, Set For Life, scratch cards, and online instant wins still offering prizes.
Record-Breaking Moments
Let's take a look at some of Camelot's record-breaking moments:
Winning Numbers Etched in a Pool
Ticket holder Roy Gibney had his winning numbers etched on the bottom of his swimming pool in Grimsby after landing £7.5m in July 1998.
Generous Donations
Ray and Barbara Wragg of Sheffield, who won £7.6m in January 2000, gave £5.5m to charities and good causes.
Biggest Syndicate Win
In November 2009, 7 IT experts at Hewlett Packard in Liverpool shared £45.5m on EuroMillions, amounting to £6.5m each.
Sharing the Wealth
In January 1995, 133 ticket holders shared £16.3m, receiving £122,510 each.
Boob Jobs and IVF Treatments
Sarah Cockings, a social work student from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, won £3.4m in 2005 and spent £10,000 on boob jobs. Becca Brown from Nottingham used her share of her family's £1m prize in 2016 to pay for IVF treatment, resulting in the birth of her daughter Ethel in 2020.
Generosity for a Cause
Peter Congdon of Truro, Cornwall, won £13.5m in 2015. He donated £1,000,000 to a multiple sclerosis charity in memory of his late wife Rosemary, who suffered from MS for 30 years.
A Field for a Furry Friend
In 2018, Faye & Richard Davies from Brecon, Powys, used £20,000 of their £1m winnings to buy a half-acre field for their dog Lucy, who was terrified of people and other dogs.
From Homeless to Jackpot Winner
Chris Jackson of Southend, who was homeless and sleeping in a car, claimed a Thunderball jackpot in August 2000, winning £250,000, just days before it expired.
Memorable Moments
Here are some memorable moments in the history of the National Lottery:
The First Draw
Noel Edmonds hosted the first draw, which was watched by around 22,000,000 people, approximately 40% of the population. The winning numbers were 30, 3, 5, 44, 14, and 22, with a Bonus Ball of 10.
Cash Delivery
For the first draw, £5,874,778 in cash was driven to BBC TV Centre in a security van as the prize pot.
Ticket Price Increase
The ticket price for the first 19 years was £1, but it increased to £2 in 2013. EuroMillions is now £2.50 a line.
The Original Draw Machines
The original draw machines, named Guinevere, Lancelot, and Merlin, weighed a total of 895lbs/406kg and cost £200,000 each.
The First Millionaires
On November 26, 1994, the second week of the lottery, four winners shared a £7,043,868 jackpot, receiving £1.761m each.
The Impact of the National Lottery
The National Lottery has created more than 7,000 millionaires, with Birmingham being the luckiest place for Lotto wins, totaling 209 lucky tickets. Almost exactly half of Lotto winners triumphed through a Lucky Dip ticket with random numbers. The EuroMillions game has also created huge wealth for its very lucky winners.
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