Lottery officials scratching their heads wondering why prize wasn't claimed

By Kate Northrop

The lottery player who won a £10.6 million (US$14.2 million) Lotto jackpot missed out on the opportunity to collect their winnings, a rare occurrence for the UK National Lottery.

In what National Lottery officials are calling an "unusual" circumstance, the winner of the £10.6 million Lotto jackpot missed their chance to claim a lifechanging sum of money.

Lottery winners in the UK have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes, and the April 2 deadline to present the winning Lotto ticket came and went after an "extensive search" for the winner, the Lottery said.

The ticket was purchased in Bexley on October 4, 2025 and held the winning numbers 6, 8, 12, 33, 49, and 59.

"Despite an extensive search for the mystery Bexley millionaire, I can confirm that the ticketholder did not come forward to claim their Lotto prize and has now unfortunately missed out on this life-changing sum of money," Andy Carter, senior winners' advisor at Lottery operator Allwyn said in a statement.

Just based on the size of the prize alone, it's uncommon for a jackpot to go unclaimed, especially since wins that are attached to online purchased can be traced to player accounts, therefore making it easier for Lottery officials to track down winners.

"The majority of prizes that would go unclaimed would be the smaller-tier prizes," an Allwyn spokesperson told the Press Association. "It's very unusual for a prize of this size to go unclaimed."

Unclaimed winnings in the UK are funneled to charitable organizations and other good causes.

"The money will now benefit good causes and add to the £33 million (US$44.4 million) raised each week for national lottery-funded projects, several of which can be found in the Bexley area," Carter added.

Thanks to dannyct for the tip.