The National Lottery is urgently searching for a mystery Lotto ticket-holder in London who has won £1million but has not yet come forward. The winning ticket was purchased in the London Borough of Richmond for the draw held on Wednesday, August 19, and the deadline to make a written claim is this Friday, September 18.
The ticket-holder matched five main numbers and the Bonus Ball to secure the seven-figure prize. The winning numbers from that draw were 4, 8, 10, 17, 23, 28, with the Bonus Ball being 16. Anyone who bought a ticket in the Richmond area for that specific draw is being asked to double-check their numbers immediately.
National Lottery Launches Public Appeal in Richmond
Toby Moxham, Head of Winners’ Services at Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, has issued a public appeal to help locate the winner. In a statement, Moxham compared the search to the popular TV show Ted Lasso, which features the fictional football team AFC Richmond, to encourage local residents to participate.
“If Ted Lasso has taught us anything, it’s the power of believing. Someone in Richmond has hit the back of the net with their Lotto numbers and is sitting on £1million. Just imagine discovering that a ticket you bought weeks ago is worth seven figures. That’s exactly what could happen for a Lotto player in the London Borough of Richmond,” Moxham said.
He added: “We’re calling on everyone who bought a ticket in the area for the 19 August draw to give it another check. Speak to your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours – we believe we can find our missing winner, but we need the public to help us.”
Claim Deadline and Written Submission Rules
The ticket-holder has until February 15, 2027, to claim the prize in person. However, anyone who no longer has their ticket but believes they have a genuine claim can still submit a claim in writing to Allwyn. This written claim must be made within 30 days of the draw, which falls on this Friday, September 18.
The National Lottery encourages all Richmond residents and visitors who were in the area on the draw date to check their tickets carefully, including those who may have purchased a ticket as a gift or for someone else. The appeal is part of a broader effort to ensure that no winning ticket goes unclaimed.
If the prize remains unclaimed after the final deadline in February 2027, the funds will be added to National Lottery good causes, as is standard procedure for unclaimed winnings.
