TONIGHT’S “Must Be Won” Lotto prize will be £20million – one of the biggest jackpots in years for the UK competition.
There will also be 20 UK millionaires in the September 18 EuroMillions draw, plus a boosted winning pot of more than £100million the following Friday.
Here is our look at some of the lottery games out there . . . and what they are best for.
Best for a mansion
COST: £2, Wednesday, Saturday.
ODDS: One in 45million for jackpot (minimum £2million Wednesday, £3.8million Saturday), one in nine for any prize. Smallest prize £30.
VERDICT: If no one gets all six numbers, up to five rollovers lead to a “Must Be Won” draw. If still no one hits the jackpot, the prize is split among all cash winners.
WINNERS: Michael Carroll, “King of Chavs”, blew his £10million win on drugs, parties and prostitutes.
Best for two mansions
COST: £2.50, Tuesday, Friday.
ODDS: One in 140million to win jackpot of up to £169million. One in 22 to win smallest prize, around £2.80.
VERDICT: Big wins are incredibly unlikely.
WINNERS: Adrian Bayford, 49, won £148million and this year splurged £2.5million on two mansions within a week in Perthshire – one featured a giant rooftop garden.
Best for better odds
COST: £1, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
ODDS: One in eight million for the £500,000. One in 29 for the smallest prize of £3.
VERDICT: Great if you do not want to fork out for a pricier ticket and are not chasing big prizes.
WINNERS: Civil servant Karen Ainger, then 57, of Sussex, said after winning £500,000 in 2014: “The odds are quite good and we often get a small win.”
Best to help local NHS
COST: £1, Tuesday to Saturday.
ODDS: One in 2.1million for the £100,000 jackpot, one in ten for a win. Smallest prize £5.
VERDICT: A nice way to support local health services. The country is split into 51 areas, which take it in turn to receive payouts.
WINNERS: Sarah Fry, 50, from Oldham, won £10,000 this year. She said: “My nan had Alzheimer’s, it is important for me to back projects helping vulnerable communities.”
Best for a wage
COST: £1.50, Monday, Thursday.
ODDS: One in 15.3million for top prize – £10,000 a month for 30 years. One in 12 for any prize, smallest £5.
VERDICT: Perfect for anyone who might squander a huge cash win.
WINNERS: A year ago mum-of- two Vicky Mitchell, 42, of Halifax, won the life-changing prize. She used the last £1.50 in her online account to buy the ticket and at first thought she had won just £5.
Best with neighbours
COST: £10 a month, 20 draws.
ODDS: Not published, but last year 77 per cent of players won prizes. Top prize is £3million shared between all players in a postcode.
VERDICT: It is a good way to bond with neighbours – the more play, the better the chance of your postcode being drawn as a winner.
WINNERS? Liz Keenan, 53, won £30,000 when still playing with pals from the street she lived on four years previously in South Lanarks.
Best for an instant hit
SCRATCHCARDS COST: £1 to £5.
ODDS: Vary depending on which you choose. To win £2million on the £2 Million Blue, it is one in 5.4million.
VERDICT: Suits players who cannot wait for a draw, preferring to scratch and see straight away if they are a winner.
WINNER: In 2018 Patrick Morling, 61, from Hampshire, went out to buy dog food, bought a card on a whim and netted £1million.