Posted on: June 20, 2022, 07:15h.
Last updated on: June 20, 2022, 02:35h.
A single ticket in a EuroMillions lottery draw from last Friday is worth just shy of £55 million (US$67 million). The British Lottery player came forward to claim the massive prize today.
British National Lottery operator Camelot announced that one ticket holder had claimed the £54,957,242.50 (US$67.20 million) fortune drawn on Friday, June 10. This would be the third British EuroMillions winner this year if Camelot confirms the Lotto win.
So far, the winner has decided to remain anonymous. They may choose to reveal their identity, but it isn’t a requirement. Sometimes, lottery winners prefer to remain anonymous to avoid becoming the center of unwanted attention. It’s also an effort to not suddenly become the “lost cousin” of someone they never knew existed.
But there’s no reason to stop playing, though, as there’s another chance to win a huge jackpot tomorrow night. A EuroMillions jackpot worth around £122 million (US$149.2 million) will be on the table.
Massive Win Shines More Light on EuroMillions
In addition to the latest massive prize, 2022 saw an unidentified winner from the UK claim £109 million (US$133.28 million) in the February 4 draw. Next, the biggest-ever National Lottery win of £184 million (US$224 million) followed.
That last prize went to “down-to-earth” Joe Thwaite and Jess Thwaite of Gloucestershire on May 10. The Sun reported that the couple from Gloucester spent 38,000 (US$46,466) of their huge win to buy a nondescript used grey Volvo V60.
Andy Carter, Senior Winners Advisor at The National Lottery for Camelot, said that the trio of wins is big news. He added that the entity will work with the winner to help them “start to enjoy their truly life-changing win.” Carter didn’t provide more details, only stating that the latest winner purchased the ticket in a physical shop, not online.
Not everyone comes forward so quickly. On March 8, someone in Wales won £1 million (US$1.22 million) in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw. However, the individual waited until March 23 to claim the prize.
Missed by an Inch
Sometimes, Lady Luck isn’t as nice. Many lottery players play the same combination, thinking that those numbers they consider so special will one day give them a good reward.
That was the case with Rachel Kennedy, a 19-year-old who had been playing the EuroMillions lottery for several weeks with the same combination. Her wish finally came true recently when all her numbers hit. However, she will never be able to collect the €210-million (US$221 million) prize.
Kennedy bought her tickets using the National Lottery’s online application. She configured it to automatically buy tickets for recurring draws, so she doesn’t have to purchase them manually.
However, in this instance, Kennedy forgot one crucial step. She hadn’t put funds in the account to cover any purchases.
After receiving a notification about the winning numbers, Kennedy’s heart likely skipped a beat as she realized they were her numbers. However, upon reviewing her account, she found that she had not participated in the draw.
Kennedy tried in vain to see if Camelot could do anything. Camelot confirmed that her numbers hit but said there wasn’t any way she could claim the prize.