Overview
- Online services will be unavailable from 11pm on Saturday, January 24 until the end of Sunday, January 25 for what the operator calls the most significant changes since 2009.
- Lotto and Thunderball draws will proceed as scheduled on Saturday night, with tickets available in person across approximately 43,500 retailers.
- Results and prize breakdowns during the downtime will be posted on the National Lottery’s official YouTube channel and displayed in retail outlets.
- Prizes on tickets bought online will not be visible or claimable until services return, while in-store wins can be paid as usual up to £100 or up to £500 at a retailer’s discretion, and the Contact Centre cannot progress claims during the upgrade.
- New protections include mandatory deposit and spend limits for new accounts, automatic logouts after 60 minutes of inactivity, and 20‑minute ‘reality check’ reminders for instant‑win games, with explainer videos and FAQs to follow after restoration.