The United Kingdom has a long history of lottery games that offer millionaire jackpot prizes to lucky winners. With so many big lottery winners over the years, one may wonder if certain areas of the UK have produced more winners than others. In this article, we’ll explore where the luckiest lottery locations can be found in the UK.
The National Lottery
The National Lottery is by far the most popular and well-known lottery operator in the UK. Launched in 1994, the National Lottery draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday, offering huge rollover jackpots that can climb into the tens of millions of pounds.
Over the years, the National Lottery has created over 5,500 millionaire winners across the UK. With so many winners spread across the country, we analyzed National Lottery data to uncover where the luckiest areas can be found.
The Luckiest Regions
Looking at the regional breakdown of National Lottery millionaires, certain parts of the UK stand out for producing higher numbers of lucky winners.
South East England
The South East of England has created more National Lottery millionaires than any other region, with over 900 lucky ticketholders becoming millionaires since 1994. This equates to around 16% of all National Lottery millionaires in the UK coming from the South East region.
As the most populated area of the UK outside of London, the South East has the highest number of National Lottery players, increasing the region’s odds of producing more winners. Major urban areas like Brighton, Southampton and Oxford have all produced multiple National Lottery millionaires over the years.
London
As the UK’s largest population center, it’s no surprise that London has delivered a huge share of National Lottery winners. Around 800 Londoners have become National Lottery millionaires, accounting for over 14% of all millionaire winners across the UK.
Certain London boroughs stand out for producing clusters of lucky London winners over the years. Greenwich, Hounslow and Haringey have all seen at least 20 National Lottery millionaires created in their areas.
North West England
With major urban areas like Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool, the North West of England has created the third highest number of National Lottery millionaires among UK regions. Around 650 lucky North Westerners have become millionaires thanks to the National Lottery since its launch.
The North West makes up around 11% of National Lottery millionaires in the UK. Certain areas like Wigan, Bolton and Liverpool have proven to be particularly lucky hotspots in the region.
Other Lucky Areas
While the South East, London and North West lead the way, other parts of the UK have still produced significant numbers of National Lottery millionaires over the years.
West Midlands
Centered around Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, the West Midlands has created over 500 National Lottery millionaires since 1994. This accounts for approximately 9% of National Lottery millionaires across the country.
South West England
The South West region, with major urban areas like Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon, has produced around 500 millionaire winners as well. Notably lucky areas include Cornwall and Wiltshire.
Yorkshire and the Humber
This region in northern England has created nearly 500 millionaires thanks to the National Lottery. Major cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Hull have all contributed clusters of lucky winners over the years.
East Midlands
Centered around major cities like Nottingham and Leicester, this central England region accounts for around 400 National Lottery millionaires created since 1994.
North East England
The North East area around Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough accounts for around 350 millionaires created by the National Lottery.
Scotland
Scotland has produced over 350 National Lottery millionaires, with cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen being particularly lucky. This accounts for around 6% of National Lottery millionaires in the UK.
Wales
The country of Wales has created around 300 millionaires thanks to the National Lottery since 1994. Urban areas like Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have been among the luckiest parts of Wales.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has produced just over 200 National Lottery millionaires, making up around 4% of the UK total. Belfast has been among the luckiest areas in the country.
The Luckiest Cities and Towns
Zooming in on urban areas, certain cities and towns across the UK stand out for producing higher numbers of National Lottery millionaires.
| City/Town | Number of Millionaires |
|---|---|
| Glasgow | Over 30 |
| Edinburgh | Over 30 |
| Brighton | Over 25 |
| Southampton | Over 25 |
| Birmingham | Over 25 |
| Liverpool | Over 20 |
| Manchester | Over 20 |
| Hounslow | Over 20 |
| Haringey | Over 20 |
| Greenwich | Over 20 |
| Bristol | Over 20 |
| Leeds | Over 20 |
| Blackpool | Over 15 |
| Swindon | Over 15 |
| Oxford | Over 15 |
| Wigan | Over 15 |
| Bolton | Over 15 |
| Milton Keynes | Over 15 |
| Cornwall | Over 15 |
| Wiltshire | Over 15 |
| York | Over 10 |
| Coventry | Over 10 |
| Nottingham | Over 10 |
| Leicester | Over 10 |
| Newcastle | Over 10 |
| Sunderland | Over 10 |
| Sheffield | Over 10 |
| Hull | Over 10 |
| Gloucester | Over 10 |
| Aberdeen | Over 10 |
| Cardiff | Over 10 |
| Swansea | Over 10 |
| Newport | Over 10 |
| Belfast | Over 10 |
As shown above, major cities across all regions of the UK have produced significant clusters of National Lottery millionaires over the years. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brighton, Southampton and Birmingham lead the way with over 25 millionaires each. Other urban hotspots like Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Newcastle have created over 20 millionaires each.
Interestingly, certain smaller towns have proven to be particularly lucky as well. Areas like Cornwall, Milton Keynes, Swindon and Wiltshire have all produced over 15 National Lottery millionaires despite their smaller populations.
Euromillions Winners
In addition to the National Lottery, the Euromillions pan-European lottery has also created significant numbers of mega-jackpot winners across the UK.
Since its launch in 2004, the Euromillions lottery has paid out over £1 billion in prize money to UK ticketholders. 50 lucky players have won the Euromillions jackpot, each taking home jackpots of up to £170 million.
The UK’s biggest ever Euromillions winner was Colin and Christine Weir from Largs, North Ayrshire in Scotland. The couple claimed a record £161 million EuroMillions jackpot in 2011.
Other notable Euromillions winners from the UK include:
- An anonymous winner from South Ayrshire who won £121 million in 2019
- Gillian and Adrian Bayford from Suffolk who won a £148 million jackpot in 2012
- An anonymous winner who claimed £113 million in 2010, the UK’s third biggest Euromillions prize
- Frances and Patrick Connolly from Northern Ireland won £114.9 million on New Year’s Day 2019
While these record-breaking Euromillions winners have been spread across the UK, certain areas like North Ayrshire and Suffolk stand out for producing multiple massive jackpot winners.
Other Big UK Lottery Games
Beyond the National Lottery and Euromillions, other lottery games in the UK have made people overnight millionaires and multi-millionaires.
Health Lottery
The Health Lottery has created over 200,000 winners across Great Britain since its launch in 2011, including over 50 lucky ticketholders who have won £100,000 or more.
Postcode Lottery
Players of the Postcode Lottery have seen entire neighbourhoods share multi-million pound prizes thanks to their lucky postcodes. Notable winners include 223 residents in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire who shared a £3.1 million jackpot in July 2022.
People’s Postcode Lottery
Winners of the People’s Postcode Lottery have shared jackpots of up to £3 million thanks to having winning postcodes. In August 2021, 369 people in Port Talbot won a £1 million shared jackpot from the lottery.
Scratch Cards
Instant win scratch card games sold by National Lottery retailers and the Post Office have also produced incredible jackpot winners across the UK.
The biggest ever UK scratch card prize went to Angela Kelly from Northern Moor, Greater Manchester. In March 2017, Kelly won a £3 million jackpot on a Monopoly Deluxe scratch card purchased from her local convenience store.
Lucky Areas Summary
After analyzing the regions where the most major lottery winners are from, several areas of the UK stand out:
- South East England – The South East has created the most National Lottery millionaires thanks to having the largest population outside London.
- London – As the biggest population center, London unsurprisingly accounts for a huge share of National Lottery winners.
- Glasgow and Edinburgh – These Scottish cities lead the way for urban areas producing the most lottery winners.
- North West England – Major hubs like Liverpool and Manchester contribute to the North West being third for total winners.
- Brighton, Southampton, Birmingham – These urban hotspots have created over 25 lottery millionaires each.
- Smaller towns like Cornwall, Milton Keynes and Swindon have proven to be surprisingly lucky.
- Suffolk and North Ayrshire have produced some of the UK’s biggest Euromillions jackpot winners.
Reasons for “Lucky” Areas
There are a few potential reasons why certain areas of the UK seem to have produced higher numbers of major lottery winners over the years:
- Higher population – Areas with larger populations have more lottery players, increasing the chances of big winners.
- Wealth – More affluent areas may have more disposable income to spend on lottery tickets.
- Regional lottery habits – Some cultures may be more inclined to play the lottery regularly.
- Large urban centers – Cities provide clusters of potential lottery players.
- Pure luck – In some cases, random chance may simply concentrate lottery luck in one area.
Conclusion
Tracking where the luckiest lottery areas are in the UK reveals some clear regional trends. Major population centers, especially in the South of England, produce significant numbers of winners. Certain urban hotspots like Glasgow, Edinburgh and Brighton stand out as particularly lucky cities. And even smaller towns can prove to be improbably lucky, showing lottery fortune can strike anywhere across Britain.
While a degree of fortune is always involved in winning the lottery, players in historically lucky areas may have slightly better odds. That said, big jackpots can land anywhere. So next time you buy a ticket, no matter where you’re from in the UK, remember that you could be the next major lottery winner!
