Lottery purchases

Lottery winners like to splash out on new cars, with the average winner buying 4.5 new cars. One in ten buys more than 10 cars. Of the more obscure purchases, these items catch the eye:

• A tarantula
• New hips
• A firework business
• A narrowboat
• The next door neighbour’s house

Around 85% of lottery winners choose to remain anonymous.

Unlikely number patterns

There are three recorded occasions when 4 consecutive numbers have been drawn. This unlikely occurrence last came about in October 2011.

Multiple winners

Wayne Elliott, from Kent, was lucky enough to win a prize every single week for the first 26 National Lottery draws.

One family from Tipton has won three times, beating odds of 350 billion/1 to scoop a total of £3.25 million.

The lottery show

The first live draw, which was hosted by Noel Edmonds, attracted an audience of 22 million. That night, seven tickets shared the jackpot and the Queen reportedly won £10. Four machines are used to conduct the draw. They are named Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, and Lancelot. Eight different sets of balls are available. Each set costs £2,500. The live show has been cancelled just three times in history, as a sign of respect to mark the deaths of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother and to commemorate the first anniversary of 9/11.

Lottery numbers

The number 38 is the most commonly drawn ball. Between 1993 and 2014, it was drawn 314 times.

Authorities in Bulgaria launched an investigation in 2009 after the same set of numbers was drawn on two consecutive occasions.

Statistically, the most common numbers to be drawn are 38, 23, 31, 25, 43, 33 and 44.

The most common numbers are often lower, with many players choosing birthdays or special dates.

The number 13 is the least common number to be drawn.

Lottery winners

Birmingham is the luckiest area, with the highest number of lottery millionaires. Glasgow, Newcastle, and Belfast also score highly.

99% of winners continue to play the lottery.

70% of winners move, but only 13% move more than 10 miles.

More than 32 million people, approximately 70 per cent of the adult population in the UK, play the lottery regularly. This figure rose to 86% on January 6th 1996 when the first double rollover draw was made. Over the years, it has become increasingly common to play the lottery online.

In its first 20 years, the National Lottery created a staggering 3,600 millionaires, doling out a total of more than £53 billion. With every ticket in with a chance, it just goes to show that players never know what could happen when those balls come flying out of those iconic machines.

Ready to become a millionaire and add your name to the list of winners? Play the lottery online today.