UK Lottery Players Pocketed More Than $5.4B in 2022

Posted on: December 27, 2022, 12:56h. 

Last updated on: December 27, 2022, 02:26h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

2022 was a good year for a number of lottery winners, with the Powerball, Spain’s El Gordo, and EuroMillions handing out billions of dollars. In the UK, lottery players scooped up £4.5 billion (about $5.4 billion), and the National Lottery found that one particular profession was more successful than others.

National Lottery sign
A UK National Lottery sign outside a vendor’s store. Players won over $5.4B this year in various lottery products in the UK. (Image: Getty Images)

This year brought some of the biggest jackpots to the UK, according to the National Lottery. A couple from Gloucester won £184 million (US$221.2 million) in a EuroMillions draw in May, although an anonymous winner somewhere then won US$235 million two months later.

Throughout the year, the National Lottery produced 375 new millionaires whose pooled winnings amounted to £1.3 billion (US$1.56 billion). Based on the statistics, National Lottery operator Camelot, which will the lottery over to Allwyn, indicates that it created a new millionaire every day of the year.

Anyone Can Win

Exploring all of the data it could compile about the lottery winners, Camelot was able to highlight some interesting statistics. Of all of the winners, the majority worked in construction. This includes those who won any type of prize.

There were 2.69 million people working in the construction industry at the beginning of 2022, according to the UK’s Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). This puts it at around seventh of the top 10 industries. Of that group, 782 lottery players pocketed at least £50,000 (US$60,110).

Camelot said construction workers routinely do well with National Lottery products. In addition, teachers and retail workers also scored big this year.

For those who need some additional guidance in choosing their numbers, 39 apparently hit more often than the rest. Curiously, the number has different meanings and is associated with certain beliefs.

In certain parts of Afghanistan, 39 is taboo because some consider it to be a curse. However, in spirituality, it is an “angel number” that signifies the arrival of good luck and wealth.

After 39, the numbers 13, 21, 50, and 58 also appeared frequently in the winning combinations of lottery jackpots. The number 8 appeared the least amount of times – only five, according to Camelot. In Chinese culture, 8 is the luckiest number of all.

Good Year for Civic Causes

Not only were there a high number of National Lottery winners this year, but certain social groups benefited as well. The operator of the National Lottery has to give a part of its revenue to social causes in accordance with its charter.

Since its inception, the National Lottery has awarded £47 billion (US$56.5 billion) to worthy causes, according to Camelot. Recipients include the Commonwealth Games, environmental projects, heritage foundations, and others.

The final tally for 2022 isn’t in yet, but Camelot has already endowed a number of organizations with funds to help their efforts. In its most recent fiscal year, which ended this past March, it had delivered over £1.9 billion (US$2.28 billion) to various groups.