National Lottery terminals will close for 36 hours - but for a good reason
Players won't be able to buy tickets or check results in shops across the UK from 11pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws until 'late Monday morning', operator Allwyn said.
The National Lottery website and app will also be down over the same period. Players will be able to check results until systems go offline and will still be able to buy Scratchcards.
They will also be able to see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel.
During the pause, Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms.
However, it warned that a 'small proportion' of in-store terminals could experience delays coming back up if certain upgrade processes are interrupted for various reasons.
The Czech-based Allwyn group – which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year – said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed to be modernised to deliver on 'ambitious' plans for a National Lottery 'fit for the future'.
Allwyn chief executive Andria Vidler said: 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver The National Lottery that the UK deserves.
'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK.
'These major upgrades will mean short-term disruption for players and our retail partners but they will allow us to deliver on our promise to bring new, exciting games, a better player experience and our commitment to double returns to Good Causes from £30 million to £60 million every week by the end of the 10-year licence.'
The switchover has been beset by delays after Allwyn took over the licence, which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. More Trending
It was unable to switch to a new technology provider after agreeing to extend the contract for the existing supplier, International Games Technology (IGT).
IGT had challenged the Gambling Commission's decision to award Allwyn the 10-year licence in court, but later dropped the legal action.
Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence.
But the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Man pockets £1,500,000 after accidentally buying two identical lottery tickets
MORE: Best friends won £168,000 on the lottery after reading about it in their horoscopes
MORE: Family who won £216,000,000 on EuroMillions reveal how they will spend jackpot
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Nigel Farage urges Chancellor not to hike gambling taxes for horse racing
Farage's comments come after a horse racing insider voiced fears Labour could 'destroy' the industry NIGE TURF WAR Nigel Farage urges Chancellor not to hike gambling taxes for horse racing Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NIGEL Farage enjoys Glorious Goodwood yesterday — as he called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to not hike gambling taxes. The Reform UK leader warned of enormous damage if the 15 per cent duty is aligned to the 21 per cent for online casino-style games. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Reform leader Nigel Farage has warned that horse racing should be separated from the proposed Labour bill Credit: David Hartley He said: 'I do think horse racing is different. "You're making an individual decision each time to have a bet. "There are checks and safeguards in place already.' The racing industry says finances will be badly hurt if the current rate is increased for online games. A Treasury consultation on the issue has now closed. He was speaking out as he attended the West Sussex racecourse as a guest of Scottish Dubai-based businessman Dr James Hay, who has previously donated to the Tory party. His wife Fitriani has also given £50,000 to Reform UK last year. Horse trainer John Gosden has warned British horse racing will be harmed by the punishing new betting tax. "I don't want to see our industry destroyed. It would be tragic. We are world leaders." Nigel Farage on leading the polls, being 'ready' to be PM & why he 'hopes people hate him'
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Huge £145m EuroMillions jackpot to be won TONIGHT – just hours before Lottery shut down for days
A MASSIVE £145 million EuroMillions jackpot is up for grabs tonight just hours before the lottery shuts down for days. From 11pm on Saturday, all draw-based game entries and in-store prize claims will be suspended as the National Lottery undergoes a major technology upgrade. Services will be down until Monday morning - including the National Lottery app and website - in what has been called the biggest system overhaul in more than three decades. Players participating in tonight's £145 million draw or this weekend's Lotto and Thunderball games have been urged to act quickly to avoid disappointment. Keen participants must pick up their ticket before Saturday night's deadline. And for those looking to increase their odds, top lottery expert Simon Horne exclusively tells Sun readers how to boost their chances of bagging the whole lot. From picking your lucky numbers to whether you should join a syndicate, there's a heap of practical ways to boost your chances of getting richer overnight. Of course, the only real way of increasing your chances of winning is to buy more tickets. Make sure you gamble responsibly. Only gamble with money you can afford to lose, and set a money limit before playing. If you need advice, visit or Is a syndicate worth it? A lottery syndicate is when a group of people put money into a pot for lottery tickets. There will be one person in charge - the syndicate manager - who will buy tickets and share out any winnings out among the group. Playing as part of a group could be a good way of boosting your chances of winning, as Simon, from The National Lottery operator Allwyn UK, explains. "If you join a syndicate of 10 people, then there's 10 tickets and 10 chances of winning, so there's clearly a greater chance of winning compared to if you just bought your own ticket," he said. The syndicate manager will need to register the group and list themselves as the person in charge with The National Lottery. Make sure to write all the terms and conditions of the agreement down, and get each person to sign it, said Simon. "If there's any confusion or complications down the line, then you can refer back to the agreement and then everyone knows where they stand," he said. The big downside to consider being part of a syndicate is that you'll need to equally split the pot between each person. So, if you were part of a syndicate of four people, splitting the £145million jackpot four ways would leave you with over £36million each - although that's still big winnings to walk away with. Pick YOUR lucky numbers You might think that picking up the most common numbers may mean you are more likely to win. The number 20 has been drawn the most at 111 times, according to which tracks lottery results. That's followed by the number 21 and 23, which has been drawn 109 times, then 42 (107 times) then 29 (104 times). The most common Lucky Stars are 3, which has been drawn 181 times and 2, which has been drawn 176 times. But you're better off picking whichever numbers you feel are best, said Simon. That's because, statistically, each number has an equal chance of being drawn. Many people pick their birthday numbers because they think they are lucky. "We all have lucky numbers - I know plenty of players who lean on lucky numbers, which could be phone numbers or numbers passed down from family members," said Simon. "Every set of numbers has the same chance of coming out. "The best strategy to play is the one that you think will bring you luck." Monitor your numbers Not sure your lucky numbers are working for you? You could keep an eye on how often your lucky numbers are being drawn, and if they're not coming up as often as you would like, you can try a different tact. The National Lottery app stores all your tickets from draws you have entered. The app is free to download from either the App Store on iPhone, or the Google Play store on Android devices. That means you can go back in and check your most profitable numbers. You could make a spreadsheet of how often your lucky numbers are being drawn, and every three months, see whether it's worth keeping them, or ditching them for alternatives. According to the unluckiest Euromillions numbers are You might want to avoid "unlucky" numbers - which are the ones drawn the least. These are 22 (66 times), 40 (74 times) and 18 and 43 (78 times). The National Lottery app is free to download from either the App Store or Google Play. Timing matters Timing matters when it comes to buying your ticket, said Simon. If you leave it to the last minute, then there's a risk that you run out of time to buy your ticket. You need to buy your ticket before 7:30pm tonight - otherwise you'll miss out. "My main advice is not to leave it too late - don't rush into the newsagents or load up your app at 7:25pm," he said. "You might not be able to upload money onto your online account, or buy your ticket, in time and you could miss the draw."
STV News
9 hours ago
- STV News
Alexander Dennis site up for sale amid consultation to close Scottish operations
Alexander Dennis' Falkirk site has been put up for sale as the bus manufacturer consults on proposals to shut Scottish operations. Due to financial concerns, the company is considering moving away from the Larbert location to a single site in Yorkshire, potentially putting 400 jobs at risk. The manufacturers made a 'significant investment' to expand the Falkirk location during 2023 and 2024. The company states although the Larbert location is listed for sale, a 'final decision' is still to be made A spokesperson for Alexander Dennis said: 'This does not represent a foregone conclusion and a final decision has not yet been made. 'We have been honest with stakeholders about the need to address the condition of the Falkirk site for some time, which is why significant investment was made to expand our Larbert site for vehicle manufacturing during 2023 and 2024. 'Alexander Dennis continues to engage with governments in good faith and the company remains committed to exploring all possible outcomes at this time.' STV News Due to financial concerns, the company is considering moving away from the Larbert location to a single site in Yorkshire Fife-based bus manufacturer Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline has already entered administration and made 81 employees redundant as a knock-on effect of Alexander Dennis' plans to pull out of Scotland. The company employed a total of 90 staff, with nine staying on a short-term basis to complete a customer contract. Finance secretary Shona Robison previously said the Government is committed to looking at 'all viable options' and ministers are working with private bus companies to drum up interest for much-needed orders. She also suggested Alexander Dennis could be forced to pay back money it has been given by the Government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise for skills and technological development, though it would be for the agency to decide how to proceed. The finance secretary also stressed the issues the Government faces due to UK-wide state aid regulations, which govern the level to which ministers can intervene in private businesses. STV News Alexander Dennis states although the Larbert location is listed for sale, a 'final decision' is still to be made Robison said the Subsidy Control Act does not allow for subsidies which enforce the use of domestically-made goods and services, which would hamper the Scottish Government's efforts to force bus firms to use Alexander Dennis. A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The UK is a global leader in bus manufacturing, and around 60% of buses funded through our zero-emission regional bus programme are being built by UK-based companies, supporting jobs and a greener transport network. 'Alexander Dennis has a strong future in the UK's growing zero-emission bus market. Through the spending review, we have committed £15.6bn to local leaders to boost services and green fleets across the UK. 'We're also giving regional leaders and leading manufacturers a voice on zero-emission plans, through the UK bus manufacturing expert panel, which seeks to put local people at the heart of bus building.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
