National Lottery hopefuls urged to 'check tickets' as 1.5 million Britons missing out on untouched winnings

National Lottery hopefuls urged to 'check tickets' as 1.5 million Britons missing out on untouched winnings

More than 1.5 million National Lottery players are sitting on unclaimed winnings without realising it, new figures have revealed. Allwyn, the operator of the National Lottery, found that 1,542,081 players across the UK won a prize over the past year but have left the money untouched in their online accounts. The prizes range up to £500, the maximum amount that can be paid directly into an online account. More than 195,000 players have wins of over £10 sitting unused, while the average untouched prize stands at £3.90. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say In total, the unclaimed sums add up to more than 1.9 million individual wins. Allwyn said the money could go towards anything from a morning coffee to a weekend away, and is encouraging players to log in and check their accounts. With Lotto currently offering the chance to become a millionaire for the price of a coffee, the operator suggested those unclaimed prizes could be put towards another ticket. Of the untouched wins, 130,375 belong to players in Scotland, 74,444 in Wales and 27,767 in Northern Ireland. In England, London leads with 200,553 unclaimed prizes, followed by the North West with 180,672 and the West Midlands with 121,141. Andy Carter, from the National Lottery, urged players not to let their winnings go to waste. He said: "Come on, you’ve played a game, become a winner and yet not enjoyed your win. It's time to log on and check – it could be you! "I love making winners and it always amazes me that some players seem happy to wait to enjoy their win. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: National Lottery winner who scooped £1million jackpot is Brighton bricklayer National Lottery winner has days left to claim £177K prize — is it you? EuroMillions winners take home £1million jackpot just months after newborn son required surgery "Whether it's a few pounds or something much larger, it's money that could be spent on a treat, saved for something special or even used to play again. "With Lotto mak