Following Team GB’s Olympic success in Rio, a number of special raffle prizes were offered to players who were able to match one of the 67 codes drawn on Saturday 27th August last year. Of those 67 winners, 12 lucky ticket holders remain at large and could potentially be about to miss out on a prize of £50,000, £100,000, or even £1 million.
One of the players, who could unwittingly see a seven-figure prize slip through their fingers, bought their ticket in Hull and their whereabouts has led to a full scale manhunt. Staff at Welton Waters Adventure Centre were quick to lend a hand to the cause, taking to their local lake in an effort to alert the winner. A sizeable crowd gathered on the water’s edge to witness the stunt, which saw one of the centre’s two disability access boats, bought using National Lottery funding, sail around the 100-acre lake displaying a huge copy of the ticket as its sail. "We are pleased to support the hunt and hope we find that lucky ticket-holder,” assistant manager, Susan Hoyte, told reporters.
Andy Carter, the National Lottery’s senior winners’ advisor, was also on hand to help promote the campaign: "We're eager to find Hull's mystery ticket-holder and unite them with their winnings – this amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody's life.” Carter went on to praise the efforts of the nation’s athletes for their heroic performances in Brazil last summer: "Team GB's success in Rio, when their haul was a whopping 67 medals, was outstanding and worthy of celebration with an extra special Lotto draw. Now we just need to find Hull's winner to help them celebrate their own win."
In addition to the winner from Hull, a further 11 prizes remain up for grabs, including £1 million prizes for unsuspecting ticket holders in Falkirk, Merthyr Tydfil, South Lanarkshire and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Players are encouraged to check their past tickets carefully and contact the National Lottery Line on 0844 338 7551 if they have a valid claim.
UK Lotto players are reminded that all prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw. Any prizes that go unclaimed will be handed over to National Lottery-funded projects throughout the country.
This Saturday’s UK Lotto jackpot currently stands at an estimated £15.3 million, tickets for which are available to purchase online or from any authorised retailer. Good luck!