Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel my draw-based game ticket after purchase?

If your draw-based game ticket has been issued in error or is illegible or incomplete, you can cancel it by returning it to the lottery terminal from which it was issued. This must be done within two hours of purchase, and before the retailer or system closes for the night or for a draw break. 'Lucky Dip' selections cannot be cancelled simply because they are not to a player’s liking. A Lucky Dip ticket can be cancelled if one or more Lucky Dip lines on a ticket are duplicated. National Lottery Fast Pay tickets issued by a checkout can be cancelled within two hours of sale in accordance with the applicable National Lottery Game Procedures. Cancellations can only be processed at the designated refund till. Staff at The National Lottery kiosk will be able to direct you. If a ticket issued at the checkout is cancelled, all other tickets purchased in the same transaction will also be cancelled. If, however, sale of tickets for the relevant National Lottery games has closed, then any tickets which have not been cancelled before that time cannot be cancelled and will remain in the draw. It will not be possible to cancel a ticket if it is not possible to locate the lottery sale identifier on your ticket or shopping receipt.

What if my draw-based game ticket has not been produced at all, or has been partly produced, by a checkout? Or it has been lost, stolen or destroyed?

In these circumstances, you need to send a written notice to Prize Payout Department, The National Lottery, PO Box 287, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts WD18 9TT. The notice should contain as much information as possible including the game played, the relevant draw date, your chosen numbers and the date and place of purchase. If your ticket has not been produced at all by a checkout, or has been lost, stolen or destroyed, you must make sure that your completed claim reaches Camelot by 5pm on the 30th day after the date of the relevant draw. If you have provided sufficient evidence to do so, Camelot will then inform you of your number selections (if applicable) and will investigate and consider the validity of your claim for a prize. If your ticket would have covered more than one draw for the same game, you are advised to submit your claim by 5pm on the 30th day after the first draw to which your ticket would have related. If your ticket has been partly produced, you must make sure your completed claim reaches Camelot by 5pm on the 180th day after the date of the relevant draw. Camelot will then determine at its discretion whether you have a valid claim. If your ticket would have covered more than one draw for the same game, you are advised to submit your claim by 5pm on the 180th day after the first draw to which that ticket would have related.

What if I find a ticket?

If you find a ticket for which the 180-day claim period has not expired and which does not contain the rightful owner's name and address, and if you cannot return the ticket to its rightful owner, send the ticket to Camelot's Prize Payout Department - address as above. You may, at Camelot's discretion, receive any prize payable on the ticket if no valid claim is received from the rightful owner during the 180-day claim period.

Are my winnings tax free?

National Lottery prizes are not chargeable gains for the purposes of UK Capital Gains Tax and will not be normally assessed for UK Income Tax. Where members of a syndicate distribute a National Lottery prize in accordance with a written agreement entered into before the win, no liability to UK Inheritance Tax should arise. It is important to note that HM Revenue and Customs law and practice may change. The above comments are based on our understanding of HM Revenue and Customs law and practice as at August 2009.

Where does the money go?

Each time you play The National Lottery you help the Good Causes. Around 28% of National Lottery sales is expected to go to the Good Causes for the period up to March 2012; the Sports Councils, the Arts Councils, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Big Lottery Fund and London 2012 Olympic Games projects. For further details on Good Causes, call the Good Causes Information Line on 0845 2 750 000 or visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.

How is this money spent locally?

The distributing bodies have made hundreds of thousands of awards since The National Lottery was launched in 1994. This should mean that organisations in your area have benefited. For up-to-date information on those local organisations and projects, visit www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.