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Metro
04-08-2025
- Business
- Metro
National Lottery down for all players - when will it be back online?
The National Lottery shut down for 36 hours this weekend to make way for the biggest technology upgrade in the game's 31-year history. Players haven't been able to buy tickets or check results in shops across the UK since 11 pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws – so when will the system be back up? The National Lottery website and app have also been down over the same period. Players can still buy Scratchcards and see the latest draws. Luckily, the system is planned to be back up and working by later this morning, according to operator Allwyn. The pause is allowing Allwyn to transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms. The Czech-based Allwyn group – which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year – said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed 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. 'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK. '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 beset by delays after Allwyn took over the licence, which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. More Trending 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. Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence. But the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: EuroMillions players urged to check their tickets after £145,000,000 jackpot remains unclaimed MORE: National Lottery terminals will close for 36 hours this weekend – but for a good reason MORE: Man pockets £1,500,000 after accidentally buying two identical lottery tickets
Scotsman
02-08-2025
- General
- Scotsman
National Lottery: outage, is app down, why can't I sign in
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. A once-in-a-generation tech upgrade means weekend players face disruption 🎯 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... National Lottery services have been paused from 11pm Saturday to late Monday morning (August 4) There will be no draw ticket sales or prize claims in-store or online during the outage The website and app are also offline, though Scratchcards and YouTube results still available The upgrade is part of major tech switchover to modernise 15-year-old systems If you were planning to grab a lucky Lotto ticket or check a recent win this weekend, you're out of luck – at least for now. The National Lottery has hit pause across all its major services in what's being called the biggest technical upgrade in its 31-year history. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From 11pm on Saturday night (following the Lotto and Thunderball draws) until late Monday morning (August 4), all draw game sales and prize claims – both in-store and online – will be suspended. This includes the National Lottery website and app, which will be inaccessible during the downtime. What's been paused? You can still buy scratch cards in shops, and Saturday draw results are viewable on the National Lottery's YouTube channel. But draw ticket sales have been paused from 11pm Saturday (August 2) until Monday morning - prize claims are not possible in-store or online during the pause. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You also won't be able to log into your online National Lottery account. Why is this happening? The outage is part of a long-planned technology switchover by Allwyn, the Czech-based operator that took over the National Lottery licence from Camelot in February 2024. The systems powering the Lottery – including thousands of shop terminals – date back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber, and Instagram', as Allwyn put it. The upgrade will bring those systems into the modern age, aiming to improve game offerings and user experience. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But be warned: Allwyn said a 'small proportion' of shop terminals might be slower to come back online, depending on how smoothly the update goes. Once the upgrade is complete, players can expect a smoother, more modern playing experience and new games (though some have been delayed until later in the licence). There will also be a bigger focus on boosting contributions to Good Causes - the wide range of charitable, community, and public-benefit projects that receive funding from National Lottery profits – with ambitions to double weekly funding from £30m to £60m. Allwyn's UK chief executive Andria Vidler called the switchover a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' to refresh the Lottery and 'restore its magic' for players. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the transition hasn't been entirely smooth. After winning the 10-year licence, Allwyn was blocked from rolling out its new tech immediately due to a legal challenge by the outgoing supplier, International Games Technology (IGT). That case was later dropped, but it caused delays – including the launch of new draw-based games originally planned for 2024. How to increase your chances of winning the lottery Let's be honest: hitting the jackpot isn't easy. The odds are slim, but there are ways to improve your chances and spend less money while pursuing that life-changing prize. Lottery syndicates have been popular for as long as the draws themselves - and for good reason. By pooling resources with others, you can boost your odds of winning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sure, you'll have to share the prize, but when it's a £100 million EuroMillions jackpot, does that really matter? This is the clever ethos behind Lotto Social, an online syndicate anyone can join in. Not everyone will have a syndicate at work, or in a pub, or a sports club, so this opens the opportunities up to the wider public. With its simple online platform, Lotto Social unlocks far more opportunities for wins, whether they are big wins or small wins, by increasing the number of entries you're getting. It's completely free to join, so you're in control of how much you're spending, and you choose the syndicates you join, and the prizes you're hoping for. You can even opt in to international lotteries to increase your chances of a win even further. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
South Wales Argus
01-08-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Why National Lottery will do 36-hour pause this weekend
All draw game sales and prize claims will be paused in shops across the UK from 11pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws until 'late Monday morning', operator Allwyn said. The National Lottery website and app will also be down over the same period. Why will National Lottery be down for 36 hours this weekend? The National Lottery will be down this weekend for 36 hours so that the biggest technology upgrade in the game's 31-year history can take place. 📣 Important announcement 📣 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 30, 2025 Can you still buy tickets for this weekend? Allwyn advised players to buy draw tickets, check results and claim prizes before 11pm on Saturday and warned that they would not be able to log into their online accounts, buy draw tickets or claim prizes in-store or online until Monday, August 4. Players will be able to check results until systems go offline and will still be able to buy Scratchcards. They will also be able to see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel. During the pause, Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms. However, it warned that a 'small proportion' of in-store terminals could experience delays coming back up if certain upgrade processes are interrupted for various reasons. You read that right! SIX millionaires were made on Lotto in just ONE week*! 🤯 *Between 23rd – 26th July#NationalLottery #WillYouBeTheNextMillionaire — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 28, 2025 The Czech-based Allwyn group which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed 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. 'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK. '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 delayed after Allwyn took over the licence which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. Since 1994, National Lottery players have helped shape the story of British sport by raising over £6BN for grassroots projects. Thank you 💙#NationalLottery #ThanksToYou #WEURO2025 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 27, 2025 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. Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence. However, the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets. Recommended reading: Which National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend? The following National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend: Set For Life – Thursday, July 31 Euromillions – Friday, August 1 Euromillions Hotpicks - Friday, August 1 Thunderball - Friday, August 1 Lotto – Saturday, August 2 Lotto Hotpicks - Saturday, August 2 You can also play Instant Win games or buy Scratchcards.
Glasgow Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Why National Lottery will do 36-hour pause this weekend
All draw game sales and prize claims will be paused in shops across the UK from 11pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws until 'late Monday morning', operator Allwyn said. The National Lottery website and app will also be down over the same period. Why will National Lottery be down for 36 hours this weekend? The National Lottery will be down this weekend for 36 hours so that the biggest technology upgrade in the game's 31-year history can take place. 📣 Important announcement 📣 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 30, 2025 Can you still buy tickets for this weekend? Allwyn advised players to buy draw tickets, check results and claim prizes before 11pm on Saturday and warned that they would not be able to log into their online accounts, buy draw tickets or claim prizes in-store or online until Monday, August 4. Players will be able to check results until systems go offline and will still be able to buy Scratchcards. They will also be able to see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel. During the pause, Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms. However, it warned that a 'small proportion' of in-store terminals could experience delays coming back up if certain upgrade processes are interrupted for various reasons. You read that right! SIX millionaires were made on Lotto in just ONE week*! 🤯 *Between 23rd – 26th July#NationalLottery #WillYouBeTheNextMillionaire — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 28, 2025 The Czech-based Allwyn group which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed 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. 'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK. '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 delayed after Allwyn took over the licence which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. Since 1994, National Lottery players have helped shape the story of British sport by raising over £6BN for grassroots projects. Thank you 💙#NationalLottery #ThanksToYou #WEURO2025 — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) July 27, 2025 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. Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence. However, the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets. Recommended reading: Which National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend? The following National Lottery games will be drawn this weekend: Set For Life – Thursday, July 31 Euromillions – Friday, August 1 Euromillions Hotpicks - Friday, August 1 Thunderball - Friday, August 1 Lotto – Saturday, August 2 Lotto Hotpicks - Saturday, August 2 You can also play Instant Win games or buy Scratchcards.
Metro
31-07-2025
- Business
- Metro
National Lottery terminals will close for 36 hours - but for a good reason
The National Lottery will shut down for 36 hours this weekend to make way for the biggest technology upgrade in the game's 31-year history. Players won't be able to buy tickets or check results in shops across the UK from 11pm on Saturday night following the Lotto and Thunderball draws until 'late Monday morning', operator Allwyn said. The National Lottery website and app will also be down over the same period. Players will be able to check results until systems go offline and will still be able to buy Scratchcards. They will also be able to see the latest draws and view the full results for the Saturday draws on the National Lottery's YouTube channel. During the pause, Allwyn will transfer and upgrade the National Lottery's gaming and retail systems to new platforms. However, it warned that a 'small proportion' of in-store terminals could experience delays coming back up if certain upgrade processes are interrupted for various reasons. The Czech-based Allwyn group – which took over the 10-year licence to run the lottery from Camelot in February last year – said the systems and in-store terminals powering The National Lottery dated back to 2009, 'before iPads, Uber and Instagram', which now needed 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. 'We're making unprecedented and much-needed changes, which will move us closer to achieving our vision for The National Lottery, restoring its magic and significantly increasing its positive impact on lives across the UK. '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 beset by delays after Allwyn took over the licence, which has held back the launch of new draw-based games. More Trending 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. Allwyn has previously admitted that delays to the new games it had hoped to introduce in 2024 will hold back the amount of money it can give to good causes in the early part of its 10-year licence. But the group remained committed to its long-term goal to double money for good causes, despite falling short of early targets. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man pockets £1,500,000 after accidentally buying two identical lottery tickets MORE: Best friends won £168,000 on the lottery after reading about it in their horoscopes MORE: Family who won £216,000,000 on EuroMillions reveal how they will spend jackpot
