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Play by Text

Play by Text

Phone screen with Lottery Draw Game images

New players

Open an Account online and then follow the 'Register my mobile' link on the left-hand side navigation panel. Soon you'll be able to Play by Text or online, anytime and anywhere.

Open an Account

Existing players

Add your mobile number to your online Account using the link below, and within minutes your lucky numbers could be winging their way from your handset, in time for the next draw.

Register your mobile
Play Lotto by Text

Play Lotto by Text

Once you have registered your mobile, playing Lotto by text is simple.

Phone screen showing how to play Lotto by text

To play Lotto Lucky Dip®

  1. Type 'LOTTO LUCKY 1'
  2. Text to 61111

This will enter 1 line of Lucky Dip to the next Lotto draw.

You can play up to 7 lines of Lucky Dip per draw, simply by changing the number eg. 'LOTTO LUCKY 7' will enter 7 lines of Lucky Dip to the next draw.

Phone screen showing how to play Lotto by text

To play your own Lotto numbers

  1. Type 'LOTTO'
  2. Type your choice of 6 numbers from 1 to 49, ensuring you leave a space (or comma) between each, eg. 'LOTTO 3 6 17 24 37 48'
  3. Text to 61111.

This will enter your numbers into the next draw.

To specify which draw you wish to play

Simply add 'SAT', 'WEDS' or 'BOTH' (if you want to play on both days).

Eg. 'LOTTO 3 6 17 24 37 48 BOTH' will enter your chosen numbers for the next Saturday and Wednesday draws.

Eg. 'LOTTO LUCKY 7 SAT' will enter 7 lines of Lucky Dip numbers for the next Saturday draw.

You can do more than just play Lotto by text

You can play all our draw games by text and even add funds to your Account. Open an Account now to start playing.

How to play

How to Play

Phone screen with Play by Text content

Once you've opened an Account, playing by text is easy. Click on the links below to see how to play.

  1. Register to Play by Text
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  2. Create your text message eg. LOTTO LUCKY 2 plays 2 lines of Lotto Lucky Dip for the next draw.
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  3. Send your message to 61111 (see Note below)
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  4. Receive confirmation by text

New players

Open an Account

Existing players

Add your mobile details
Selection of Keywords:
Lotto LOTTO
Dream Number DREAM
EuroMillions EURO
Thunderball TBALL
Daily Play DAILY
HotPicks - Pick 1 HOT1
HotPicks - Pick 2 HOT2
HotPicks - Pick 3 HOT3
HotPicks - Pick 4 HOT4
HotPicks - Pick 5 HOT5
Lucky Dip LUCKY
Wednesday WED
Friday FRI
Saturday SAT
Both Lotto draws BOTH
Last Numbers LAST
Balance BAL
Help HELP

Play Lotto Lucky Dip

  • You can play up to 7 lines of Lotto by Lucky Dip in this way.
  • Simply write 'LOTTO' followed by 'LUCKY' then the number of lines you wish to play and send to 61111, eg 'LOTTO LUCKY 7'.

You can specify the draw you wish to be entered into by adding 'SAT' or 'WED' or 'BOTH' if you want to play on both days, and send to 61111, eg 'LOTTO LUCKY 2 BOTH' plays 2 Lucky Dips for the draws on the next Saturday and Wednesday.

If you don't add a draw day at the end of your message, your numbers will be entered into the next draw, eg 'LOTTO LUCKY' received on a Friday plays a Lucky Dip in the Saturday draw.

Note: Text messaging costs 20p

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Play your own line of Lotto

  1. Enter 'LOTTO'
  2. Enter 6 numbers from 1 to 49, ensuring there is a space or comma between each number, eg 'LOTTO 3 7 14 34 47 48'.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'LOTTO 3 7 14 34 47 48' plays the Lotto line 3 7 14 34 47 48 in the next available draw.

Note, you can specify the draw you wish to be entered into by adding 'SAT' or 'WED' or 'BOTH' if you want to play on both days, and send to 61111, eg 'LOTTO 3 7 14 34 47 48 BOTH' plays that line for the draw on the next Saturday and Wednesday.

If you don't add a draw day at the end of your message, your numbers will be entered into the next draw, eg 'LOTTO 3 7 14 34 47 48' received on a Friday plays that line in the Saturday draw.

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Play your Last Numbers

  1. Enter 'LOTTO'
  2. Enter 'LAST'. eg 'LOTTO LAST' will play the same numbers you last played for Lotto via text or Internet.
  3. Send to 61111.

Note, you can specify the draw you wish to be entered into by adding 'SAT' or 'WED' or 'BOTH' if you want to play on both days, and send to 61111, eg 'LOTTO LAST BOTH' plays the numbers you last played for the next available Saturday and Wednesday draws.

If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

If you don't add a draw day at the end of your message, your numbers will be entered into the next draw, eg 'LOTTO LAST' received on a Friday plays your Last Numbers in the Saturday draw.

If you have previously played a Lottery draw game on the website or by text we will remember the last numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or open an Account, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the last numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers.

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Play Dream Number by text

You can play Dream Number alongside Lotto or by itself:

Play Dream Number by itself

  1. Enter 'DREAM'.
  2. You can specify the draw you wish to be entered into by adding 'SAT' or 'WED' or 'BOTH' if you want to play on both days. If you don't add a draw day at the end of your message, your numbers will be entered into the next draw, eg 'DREAM' received on a Friday will be entered in the Saturday draw.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'DREAM' plays your Dream Number in the next available draw. 'DREAM BOTH' plays your Dream Number in the next available Wednesday and Saturday draws.

Play Lotto Lucky Dip with Dream Number

  1. Enter 'LOTTO LUCKY' and the number of lines you wish to play. You can play up to 7 lines.
  2. Enter 'DREAM'.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'LOTTO LUCKY 2 DREAM' plays 2 lines of Lotto Lucky Dip and 1 Dream Number in the next available draw.

Play your selected Lotto line with Dream Number

  1. Enter 'LOTTO' followed by 6 numbers from 1 to 49, ensuring there is a space or comma between each number, followed by 'DREAM'.
  2. All six numbers should appear together in the message, eg 'LOTTO 01 02 23 24 25 36 DREAM'.
  3. Send to 61111.

Play your selected Lotto line with Dream Number

  1. Enter 'LOTTO LAST'.
  2. Enter 'DREAM'. This will play a Dream Number Lucky Dip. It is not possible to play your last Dream Number by Text.
  3. Send to 61111.

If you have previously played a National Lottery game on the website or by text we will remember the Last Numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or register, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the Last Numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers. If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

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Play EuroMillions by text

You can play EuroMillions in three ways:

Play EuroMillions Lucky Dip

  1. Enter 'EURO'.
  2. Enter 'LUCKY' followed by the number of lines you wish to play. You can play up to 4 lines of EuroMillions by Lucky Dip.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'EURO LUCKY 2' plays 2 lines of EuroMillions Lucky Dip in the next available EuroMillions draw.

Play your selected line

  1. Enter 'EURO'.
  2. Enter 5 numbers from 1 to 50, ensuring there is a space or comma between each number, then enter two Lucky Star numbers from 1 to 9. All seven numbers should appear together in the message, eg 'EURO 01 02 23 24 25 02 07'.
  3. Send to 61111.

Play your Last Numbers on EuroMillions

  1. Enter 'EURO'.
  2. Enter 'LAST'.
  3. Send to 61111.

If you have previously played a National Lottery game on the website or by text we will remember the last numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or register, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the last numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers.

If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

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Play Thunderball by text

You can play Thunderball in three ways:

Play Thunderball Lucky Dip

  1. Enter 'TBALL'.
  2. Enter 'LUCKY' followed by the number of lines you wish to play. You can play up to 5 lines of Thunderball by Lucky Dip.
  3. Send to 61111

eg 'TBALL LUCKY 2' plays 2 lines of Thunderball Lucky Dip in the next available Thunderball draw.

Play your selected line

  1. Enter 'TBALL'.
  2. Enter 5 numbers from 1 to 39, then 1 Thunderball number from 1 to 14, ensuring there is a space or comma between each number. All six numbers should appear together in the message, eg 'TBALL 01 02 13 24 32 02.'
  3. Send to 61111.

Play your Last Numbers on Thunderball

  1. Enter 'TBALL'.
  2. Enter 'LAST'.
  3. Send to 61111.

If you have previously played a National Lottery game on the website or by text we will remember the last numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or register, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the last numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers.

If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

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Play Daily Play by text

You can play Daily Play in three ways:

Play Lucky Dip Daily Play

  1. Enter 'DAILY'.
  2. Enter 'LUCKY' followed by the number of lines you wish to play. You can play up to 4 lines of Daily Play by Lucky Dip.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'DAILY LUCKY 3' plays 3 lines of Daily Play Lucky Dip in the next available Daily Play draw.

Play your selected line

  1. Enter 'DAILY'.
  2. Enter 7 numbers from 1 to 27 ensuring there is a space or comma between each number, eg 'DAILY 01 12 16 18 23 24 25'. This will enter you into the next available Daily Play draw.
  3. Send to 61111.

If you add a draw day to the end of your message, eg 'DAILY 01 12 16 18 23 24 25 MON' sent on a Saturday will play those numbers in the Monday draw. If you don't add a draw day at the end of your message, your numbers will be entered into the next available draw, eg 'DAILY 01 12 16 18 23 24 25' received on a Friday morning plays those numbers in the Friday draw.

Play your Last Numbers on Daily Play

  1. Enter 'DAILY'.
  2. Enter 'LAST'.
  3. Send to 61111.

If you have previously played a National Lottery game on the website or by text we will remember the last numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or register, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the last numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers.

If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

Top Tips

  • You can specify the day of the week that you want your ticket to be entered into, by adding it to the end of your message. You can play Daily Play on 'MON, TUES, WED, THURS, FRI or SAT'.
  • If you don't specify a draw day, your numbers will be entered into the next available draw, eg 'DAILY LAST' received on a Friday morning will play your last numbers in the Friday draw.
  • You can be entered into all the draws for the next week, if you add the word 'ALL' to the end of your Daily Play message, eg 'DAILY 01 12 16 18 23 24 25 ALL' received on a Tuesday morning plays that line of numbers in the next 6 draws - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday (there's no draw on a Sunday).

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Play Lotto HotPicks by text

You can play the Lotto HotPicks games in three ways:

Play Lotto HotPicks Lucky Dip

  1. Enter 'HOT1', 'HOT2', 'HOT3', 'HOT4' or 'HOT5' depending on whether you want to play the Pick 1, Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4 or Pick 5 Lotto HotPicks game.
  2. Enter 'LUCKY' followed by the number of lines you wish to play. You can play up to 5 lines of Lotto HotPicks.
  3. Send to 61111.

eg 'HOT1 LUCKY 2' plays 2 lines of Lotto HotPicks in the next available Lotto HotPicks draw.

Play your selected line

  1. Enter 'HOT1', 'HOT2', 'HOT3', 'HOT4' or 'HOT5' depending on whether you want to play the Pick 1, Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4 or Pick 5 Lotto HotPicks game.
  2. Enter 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 numbers (depending on which Lotto HotPicks game you're playing) from 1 to 49 ensuring there is a space or comma between each number. All numbers should appear together in the message, eg 'HOT3 13 24 32'.
  3. Send to 61111.

Play your Last Numbers on Lotto HotPicks

  1. Enter 'HOT LAST'.
  2. Send to 61111.

If you have previously played a National Lottery game on the website or by text we will remember the last numbers you played with us. You can play your Last Numbers by text message as above or on the website. To play on the website all you need to do is Sign In or register, click on the 'Play my Last Numbers' link on the play slip and we will fill in your play slip with the last numbers you played, irrespective of the channel you played them on. In this way you don't have to re-type your favourite numbers.

If you last played a Lucky Dip, playing Last Numbers will automatically play a new Lucky Dip selection.

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Load your Account by text

You can load your National Lottery Account on the move in one of three ways so that you don't need to keep coming back to the Internet.

  1. Add the word 'LOAD' to the end of your play message.

    eg 'LOTTO LUCKY 3 LOAD' and send to 61111. This will load your Account with the minimum amount in order to complete the purchase (ie 3 lines of Lotto Lucky Dip for the next draw).

    The minimum amount that can be loaded at any one time is £5. Therefore if you have less than £3 in your National Lottery Account, we will load £5 to your Account and then debit £3.

  2. Enter 'LOAD' plus the amount you wish to add to your National Lottery Account, eg 'LOAD 10' and send to 61111. This will load your Account with £10.
  3. Once you are registered to play by text, you can choose for us to automatically add the correct funds from your bank Account to your National Lottery Account to complete your purchase. This is called 'Autoload'. If you do not have enough money in your National Lottery Account to complete your purchase, we will add a minimum of £5.

Confirmation of such debits from your bank account will be shown on the Transactions page of the website. To view your Transactions, Sign In at www.national-lottery.co.uk, click 'My Account' on the navigation, and choose 'View transactions' from the 'My banking' list.

To select 'Autoload', sign in on the website, then visit the 'My Account' page, From 'My details' select 'Mobile service' and tick the Autoload box.

To check your Account balance on the move, text 'BAL' to 61111 and we'll send your current balance to your phone.

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FAQs

FAQs

Playing by Text

Q. What is Play by Text?
A.

Play by Text is the new and exciting way to play Lotto, Dream Number, EuroMillions, Thunderball, Lotto HotPicks and Daily Play using your mobile phone. If you have a mobile phone that is registered with a UK Network Operator and can send and receive a text message, then you can sign up to Play by Text on this website. Once you are signed up, you can send your selected line(s) of numbers to us by text message, or ask to play Lucky Dip.

For more information about how to Play by Text, please select the 'How to play' tab above.

Q. Why am I unable to send a message to 61111 to play?
A.

On some occasions you may not be able to send a text message. On such occasions your phone may say 'message not sent'. This may be for a number of reasons:

  • The text message memory on your phone is full.
  • Your pre-pay credit has run out/you have no credit on your phone.
  • Your phone may be out of range
  • You may be trying to play from a different phone to the one that you registered with us.
Q. Why have I not received a confirmation message? How do I know if my selection of numbers has been placed in the draw?
A.

Once you have sent a text message entry to 61111 you should receive a confirmation text message from The National Lottery. This message will confirm that your selection has been entered into the draw.

If you do not receive a reply from The National Lottery please check that the text message memory on your phone is not full, and that your phone is within range and able to receive a text message.

However due to the nature of text message technology there is still no guarantee that your text message will reach us. Similarly there is no guarantee that the confirmation message sent by The National Lottery will arrive on your phone.

If you do not receive a confirmation message after 5 minutes then it is your responsibility to check within 'My online tickets' in the 'My Account' section of The National Lottery website to ensure that your ticket is in the draw.

Q. How do I send a text message?
A.

It depends upon the handset that you are using. Please refer to your handset user's handbook, or visit www.text.it to see how to send a text message from your phone.

Q. How do I switch on/switch off predictive text on my phone?
A.

This depends on the handset you are using. Please refer to your handset user's handbook for further information.

Q. What is the quickest way to send you my lottery numbers?
A.

On most phones, when you are constructing a text message, you can simply hold down the number key that you want to add to the message, rather than repeatedly pressing the key. If this is not the case on your phone, please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for further information.

Q. Can I Play by Text from the Isle of Man?
A.

Unfortunately players from the Isle of Man are unable to Play by Text. The mobile network operators' technology is currently not in place to allow players on the Isle of Man to send text messages to short codes such as 61111.

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Play by Text hours of service

Q. General opening hours
A.

You are normally able to play by text from 8am to 11pm, 7 days a week.

However, you will not be able to play during 'draw break'. Draw break occurs on the day of the relevant draw, at the following times for each game:

LOTTO, DREAM NUMBER & LOTTO HOTPICKS: Wednesday 7.30pm to 8am; Saturday 7.30pm to 9pm

THUNDERBALL: Wednesday 7.30pm to 8am; Friday 7.30pm to 9pm; Saturday 7.30pm to 9pm

EUROMILLIONS: Friday 7.30pm to 9pm

DAILY PLAY: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7.30pm to 8am.

You are advised to play by text well in advance of 7.30pm on the day of the relevant draw, as it may take longer to process your selection at this time. This may lead to your selection not being included in the draw.

If we receive your selection during draw break, we will send you a message advising you it is draw break and your selection will not be processed. If we receive your selection after draw break, your selection will be entered into the next available draw for that game.

On some occasions the National Lottery systems may have technical problems and may not be able to process your selection at the time that you submit it. If this is the case, your purchase will not be processed, and you must re-submit your selection at a later time when the National Lottery system is re-opened.

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Signing up

Q. How do I sign up to Play by Text?
A.

If you already have a National Lottery Account, then click here to add your mobile details to your Account. If you have not previously signed up with The National Lottery, then click here to open an Account.

Q. Problems signing up?
A.

When signing up to play by text, you will be asked to enter your mobile number. You must be the authorised user of the mobile. You will then be sent a 4 digit authorisation code by text message which you must enter into the website. If you do not receive the code it may be for one of the following reasons:

  • You have entered an incorrect phone number
  • The text message memory on your phone is full
  • Your pre-pay credit has run out/you have no credit on your phone
  • Your phone may be out of range and unable to receive a text message

It may take up to 5 minutes for this code to arrive on your phone. If you have still not received a code after this period, please call the National Lottery Customer Care Team on 0845 278 8000.

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Adding funds to your Account

Q. How do I add funds to my Account to Play by Text?
A.

You may either add funds to your Account on the internet by visiting 'My Account' and then clicking on 'Add Funds', or by sending us a text message (eg LOAD 10) to tell us to add funds to your Account. Please select the 'How to play' tab above for further info.

If you select 'Autoload' then we will automatically add the appropriate amount to your account in order to play your lines, subject to a £5 minimum. Visit 'My Account' and then go to 'Mobile service' to select 'Autoload'.

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Cost of service

Q. How much does it cost to play?
A.

You will be charged 20p every time that you send a text message to the National Lottery shortcode - 61111. This charge will either appear on your phone bill or will be debited directly from your pre-pay account. Please ensure that you construct your text message correctly (and are aware of our hours of operation). Please select the 'How to play' tab above and follow the instructions in order to avoid being charged for messages sent in error.

The cost of your ticket is the same as it is if you bought the ticket from a retailer (eg £1 per Lotto line per draw, etc). This cost is debited from your National Lottery Account.

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Changing My Details

Q. How do I change my mobile phone details or opt out of the service?
A.

If you change your mobile phone number you are able to update your details by visiting 'My Account' and then selecting 'Mobile service'.

To opt out of the service, visit 'My Account' and select 'Mobile service' then 'Opt out of service'.

Q. How do I change my play settings?
A.

You are able to restrict the amount of money that you can spend per day or per week playing by text. Visit 'My Account' and then go to 'Mobile service'.

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Where are my ticket details kept?

We keep your ticket details safe and secure in your National Lottery Account, so you can view them online whenever you like (except when our system is closed for maintenance).

To access your Account, click 'Sign in' at the top right of the homepage, then enter your secure username and password. If you can't remember your sign in details, click the 'Forgot username or password?' link for assistance.

Once you've signed in, select the 'My Account' tab. Select 'View tickets' to view your ticket details.

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What happens if I win?

For convenience, most winnings can be paid directly to your National Lottery Account or your debit card as detailed below.

If you have given us a valid email address, we will email you to let you know that you have won.

Wins of up to and including £500
These will be paid directly to your National Lottery Account. You can either transfer them to your debit card or use them to play more games.
Wins of £501 to £5,000 inclusive
These are paid directly into your bank via your Debit Card, once you claim them via the website, so you can quickly start to enjoy them!
Wins of over £5,000
Wins over £5,000 must be claimed by calling the National Lottery Customer Care Team on 0845 278 8000, and will be paid by cheque.

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Rollover alerts/result text alerts

Q. How can I sign up to receive free Rollover alerts by text message?
A.

When you sign up to play by text you are given the option to sign up for free Rollover and special draw text alerts. You may update your preference to receive/stop these alerts by visiting 'My Account' and going to 'Mobile service'.

Q. How can I sign up to get National Lottery results by text message?
A.

You can receive a text alert with the results of National Lottery games by calling 0871 871 8787 (service subject to terms and conditions). For further information, please visit results by text.

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Reasons to Play by Text

  • It's quick to register
  • You can play on the move
  • We'll send you free rollover text reminders
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The National Lottery Play by Text service has been awarded GamCare certification

The National Lottery Play by Text service has been awarded GamCare certification

Find out more