Lottery ticket holder misses out on £10.6m jackpot after deadline nevertheless it will not go to waste
A National Lottery ticket holder has missed out on a £10.6million jackpot after failing to claim the prize within 180 days. The Lotto ticket was bought in Bexley, south-east London, and the money will now go to good causes
Whoever it is will be kicking themselves(Image: Getty Images)
A lottery ticket holder has lost out on a jackpot worth more than £10million.
National Lottery participants have 180 days to claim their winnings, but the deadline has elapsed for the holder of a Lotto ticket that would have been worth £10.6million. After an “extensive search”, the National Lottery confirmed no valid claim had been submitted by last Thursday’s cut-off – and the funds will now go to the good causes it supports.
A spokesperson for Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, told the Press Association: “The majority of prizes that would go unclaimed would be the smaller tier prizes. It’s very unusual for a prize of this size to go unclaimed.” The jackpot ticket was purchased in Bexley, south-east London, on October 4, 2025.
There are presently five “major” National Lottery prizes worth more than £3.2million that remain unclaimed. Three are £1million EuroMillions or Lotto tickets.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, said: “Despite an extensive search for the mystery Bexley millionaire, I can confirm that the ticket-holder did not come forward to claim their Lotto prize and has now unfortunately missed out on this life-changing sum of money.
“However, the money will now benefit Good Causes and add to the £33 million raised each week for National Lottery-funded projects, several of which can be found in the Bexley area.”
National Lottery players have backed numerous projects across Bexley, including The Exchange Erith, a community-led arts and crafts organisation, and You and Me Happy Family Children’s Disability Trust, which provides inclusive support for disabled children and their carers.
Meanwhile, a 15‑strong syndicate of retired work pals have won big on the lotto. The group of former finance colleagues from Wales are celebrating after scooping £1,000,000 in the EuroMillions draw.
The win at the end of February has reunited the group of retirees who started their “Tata Steel Syndicate” as a light‑hearted way to lift spirits during busy working weeks. Even after many of them left the company, they stayed connected through their £5 contribution to the draw.
And now, after years of staying in touch through email and the odd pint, this win has given them something incredible. They now have the perfect reason to reunite, celebrate, and remember their time together. At the heart of it is syndicate leader Paul Davy, 61, who kept the tradition alive for seven years, sending those hopeful emails, keeping everyone connected, and treating the lottery more like “an opportunity to donate to charity – with the chance of winning as a bonus” as he’d often say.
His shock and joy at seeing that winning code has now sparked a long‑overdue reunion and a wave of life‑changing dreams among the group. Paul said: “I couldn’t believe it – a message just popped up on the app!
“I was checking Saturday’s draw when a message flashed up. I thought it must be an error – but then I saw the winning Millionaire Maker code. I was in complete shock” he said.
