National Lottery to shut down TONIGHT with just hours left for players to buy tickets or claim prizes
Players have until just hours left to buy tickets, before the service shuts down for over 24 hours.
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During the shutdown, which is taking place to facilitate the largest upgrade in the game's 31-year history, players will also not be able to check numbers.
All draw game sales and prizes will be paused across the entire country from 11pm tonight to "late on Monday morning".
During this period, operator Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms.
The update will take place after Saturday's Lotto and Thunderball draws, meaning that some winners will not be able to claim prizes until Monday.
Online accounts, the National Lottery website and app will also be impacted until Monday.
The news system is set to be up and running before the Set For Life draw on Monday night.
Friday's Euromillions draw, which currently sits at £145 million, will not be impacted.
Lotto players, should buy tickets. check their results and claim prizes before 11pm tonight, to avoid missing out.
You will still be able to buy scratchcards during this period, and can see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel.
However, Allwyn warned that a "small proportion" of in-store terminals could see delays if certain upgrade processes are interrupted.
I became a millionaire overnight after winning huge National Lottery prize but I celebrated with modest Scottish treat
Allwyn revealed that the technology needs to be updated, as it dates back to 2009, "before iPads, Uber and Instagram".
The Czech-based group, who took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year said the systems need 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.
How to increase your chances of winning the lottery
The odds of picking a winning lottery ticket are pretty slim but there are some ways to improve your chances .
Games with small jackpots tend to have better odds, so it's worth taking notice of the difference. For example, EuroMillions is harder to win than UK Lotto.
Some lotteries may have bonus numbers or other features which could improve someone's chance of winning.
Looking at these additional elements and understanding them can help someone make a more informed decision when choosing their numbers.
Each lottery draw is random and balls have the same chance of being drawn.
However, there are some balls that statistically have appeared more often than others which could make them seem a better bet.
For example, previous research has showed that number 38 was most common, 23 was second most drawn, followed by 31, 11, 45 and 25.
There is another easy way of getting more tickets at the same cost and that is by joining a syndicate.
Of course, you share the winnings, but the chances of matching the numbers drawn are vastly improved.
"We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery.
"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 hampered by delays after Allwyn took over the licence, which has held back the launch of new draw-based games.
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.
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