It’s a familiar story for lottery players across the country: the initial rush, when it’s revealed that the jackpot has been won, then a scramble to find your ticket before the dawning realisation that the winning numbers do not, in fact, match those on the pink piece of paper in your hand.
But for EuroMillions players in Tuesday night’s draw, there’s still hope. It has now come to light that an error led to the publication of the wrong winning numbers online and, as a result, ticket holders are being urged to check their tickets once more to see if they might be on the verge of claiming Britain’s third-largest-ever lottery jackpot.
Just after midnight, a slew of media organisations announced the supposed winning numbers for the £177m EuroMillions draw.
However, hours later, the Press Association sent out a correction after it turned out an extra number had been added by mistake, which meant there would have been no winner. Now that the correct winning numbers have been confirmed, a winning ticket holder is yet to claim their jackpot – which means it could be you.
Players are being urged to once again check their tickets to see if they can claim the prize in Tuesday’s draw.
The winning numbers (and we promise, these really are the correct ones) were 07, 11, 25, 31 and 40, with Lucky Stars 09 and 12.
The winner will be wealthier than former One Direction member Harry Styles and heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, who are both worth £175m, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List.
On 19 July 2022, an anonymous UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
Tuesday’s winner is just behind Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, who scooped a then record-breaking £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket for the draw on 10 May 2022.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, operator of the National Lottery, said: “Wow, it has been a truly incredible night for a single UK ticket holder who has scooped tonight’s jaw-dropping £177m EuroMillions jackpot!
“The win has landed them a spot on the National Lottery’s Rich List, as they have become the third biggest National Lottery winner of all time!
“What a wonderful win right before Christmas, and we cannot wait to pay out this amazing prize.”