If you’ve recently played a game through The National Lottery, receiving an email with the subject line “Good News! You’ve Won A Prize On The National Lottery” might come as a surprise — but how do you know it’s real?
This guide explains how genuine prize notifications from The National Lottery work, what to look out for in your email inbox, and how to verify any potential win safely.
Whether you’re new to National Lottery draw-based games, or simply want to understand how the process works, this blog will walk you through the key details in a clear and straightforward way.
Does The National Lottery Inform You If You Win?
Yes, The National Lottery does notify you if you win — but it depends on how you bought your entry.
If you bought your ticket online, you can choose to receive notifications by email. When this is enabled, The National Lottery will send you an email if you win a prize. The size of the potential prize doesn’t affect whether you get notified — it may apply to any small prizes, as well as larger ones.
If you bought your ticket in person at a shop, the process is different. You won’t receive an email from The National Lottery. Instead, it’s up to you to check your ticket and come forward to claim any possible prizes. For any win over £30,000.01, you must contact The National Lottery directly by phone to begin the claim.
For all players, there is a 180-day window to claim any potential prizes. This starts from the date of the draw, and once the time has passed, the prize can no longer be claimed.
How Quickly Does The National Lottery Email You If You Win?
If you've enabled email notifications and win a prize on a draw-based game, The National Lottery usually sends out an email within 24 hours of the draw taking place.
The timing may vary slightly depending on the time of the draw and whether it took place over a weekend or public holiday. Smaller possible wins may also be notified via email, but you usually won’t be told the prize amount in the message itself — you’ll need to log into your National Lottery account to see full details.
The notification will only arrive if:
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You bought your ticket online
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You’ve opted in to receive email updates
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The email was successfully delivered (which can depend on your email provider or spam settings)
To help your potential emails arrive properly, you can add these trusted National Lottery addresses to your safe senders list:
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player@national-lottery.co.uk
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admin@national-lottery.co.uk
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help@national-lottery.co.uk
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play@lotto.national-lottery.co.uk
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play@play.national-lottery.co.uk
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play@play2.national-lottery.co.uk
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play@play3.national-lottery.co.uk
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directdebit@national-lottery.co.uk
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security@national-lottery.co.uk
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news@info.national-lottery.co.uk
If you’re not receiving expected messages, check your junk folder and contact your email provider for help.
What Does The Email Look Like If You Win The Lottery?
Genuine emails from The National Lottery follow a consistent format. While it’s natural to feel cautious about unexpected messages, there are a few key signs that an email is legitimate.
A real prize notification email typically has the following format:
Subject line:
Good News! You've Won A Prize On The National Lottery
Sender address:
player@national-lottery.co.uk
Email body:
Good News! You've won a prize playing one of our draw games on [Draw Date].
Sign in to your National Lottery account to find out what you’ve won.
[Sign In To Your Account]
National Lottery Customer Care Team
This message usually won’t tell you how much you've won. You’ll only see the details once you sign into your National Lottery account.
Be cautious of any message claiming you’ve won, but asking for personal details or payment. The National Lottery does not request bank details via email. If you're ever unsure, open your browser and visit the official site.
National Lottery Big Win Email - Is It Legit?
It’s a good idea to be careful if you receive any message claiming you’ve won something — especially when it involves money. Fraudulent emails can look convincing, but there are steps you can take to stay safe.
If you receive a prize notification and want to confirm it’s real:
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Don’t click any links if you’re unsure.
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Visit the official National Lottery website directly.
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Log in to your account using your usual credentials.
Once signed in:
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Go to ‘My Games’.
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Select ‘Draw Game Tickets’.
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Find your ticket and check its status.
Tickets may be marked as:
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Current (yet to be drawn),
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Finished (drawn but not a winner), or
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Won (with the prize amount shown).
You can click ‘View Ticket’ for more details, including the numbers played and the draw outcome.
If anything seems suspicious, or you’ve received an email asking for payment or bank details, you can report it directly on the National Lottery’s website under the Avoid Lottery Scams section.
The National Lottery offers draw-based games and scratchcards, which are both games of chance. This means outcomes are random, and no result is guaranteed. Scratchcards can differ by game type, cost, and the potential prizes available. It may be worth reading the rules and checking the odds listed before you play.
There’s no strategy that can influence the outcome of a random draw. Playing responsibly means setting limits, keeping it fun, and never spending more than you can afford to lose. If you ever feel like you need support, services like BeGambleAware are available and free to use.
For more help or to manage your play, The National Lottery provides tools such as self-exclusion, spend limits, and game history tracking. These are accessible through your online account settings.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.