How Careless Is Too Careless? Some UK Winners Don’t Even Know They’ve Won The Lottery

Last Updated:January 20, 2026, 18:30 IST

The most striking case involves a mystery player from Bexley, who won £10.6 million in the October 10 Lotto draw but has not yet come forward.

Lottery officials issue an urgent appeal to track down ticket holders.

Several UK lottery winners may be walking around unaware they are sitting on life-changing sums, as Lottery officials issue an urgent appeal to track down ticket holders who have yet to claim prizes worth millions of pounds. The most striking case involves a mystery player from Bexley, who won £10.6 million in the October 10 Lotto draw but has not yet come forward. The winner has until April 2 to claim the prize before the ticket expires.

Officials from the Lottery say the Bexley case is not an isolated one. Several other high-value prizes across the country also remain unclaimed, with deadlines looming.

A £1 million winning ticket bought in Birmingham last year will expire on February 11. Another £1 million prize won in South Gloucestershire on November 1 must be claimed by April 30, while a £1 million ticket purchased in Bournemouth expires on May 3. In Powys, a £112,091 prize from a December 12 draw remains unclaimed ahead of its June 10 deadline.

If these prizes are not claimed in time, the money- along with any interest earned- will be redirected to Lottery-funded community projects, including environmental re-wilding initiatives and youth support programmes. Lottery officials said that past winners have discovered tickets months later in coat pockets, glove compartments, drawers and even kitchen appliances.

Recently, Sean Henderson, a 39-year-old carpenter from Ilfracombe, won the “Set For Life" prize- paying £10,000 a month for 30 years- only after spotting his ticket gathering dust on top of his microwave.

Winners’ advisor Kathy Garrett urged players to check “everywhere, not just wallets," saying forgotten tickets are far more common than people realise. Players can check tickets online, through the Lottery app or at authorised retailers, officials said, warning that once deadlines pass, even multimillion-pound wins are lost forever.

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