A retired golf enthusiast from Newcastle has won £500,000 in a National Lottery Thunderball draw. He matched five main numbers and the Thunderball on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Lucky dip pays off
The winner often plays with numbers close to his heart, but opted for a lucky dip on this occasion, which paid off with a top prize. Speaking on his win, he said: "We just couldn't believe we had won from putting on a one-off lucky dip line.
"It shows that anyone can be lucky. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to leave a legacy for our children, and we are also planning some holiday and more rounds of golf."
Congratulations from Allwyn
Abbie Suddick, Winners' Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, congratulated the winner, saying: "What tee-riffic news for our Newcastle winner. We hope he enjoys plenty of holiday adventures, and even more rounds of his favourite hobby."
Players can buy and check their tickets online by downloading the National Lottery app or at national-lottery.co.uk. They can also buy and check tickets in retail. Playing online via the app or website means that your ticket is automatically checked, and you get an email notification if you win a prize. You can also scan your retail tickets on the National Lottery app to check if you're a winner.
Contribution to Good Causes
The operators say: "Playing any National Lottery game is more than just a chance to win; it's a way to contribute to something much bigger. Each week, players help generate around £33m for National Lottery-funded projects.
"With over £53bn raised for Good Causes since launch, this funds hundreds of projects in every postcode area across the UK. From supporting the arts and sport sectors, to empowering local community groups and preserving iconic British landmarks, players' participation makes a difference every single day."
Recently, ChronicleLive reported how part of the North East had been ranked among the luckiest areas in the country for winning the Lotto. A total of 140 Lotto players have become millionaires so far in 2026 - that's around one every 48 hours.
More than half of those were since the launch of the new-look Lotto game in June where players are given two chances to win from the same ticket. Organisers expect that this will lead to a doubling in the number of new Lotto millionaires each year.
According to Lotto data going back to the launch of the lottery in 1994, Newcastle is among the top 10 postcode areas for National Lottery millionaires. The NE postcode area ranked seventh with 154 millionaires recorded. Birmingham took the top spot, with 234, while Belfast followed with 202.
The figures cover both winners who went public and those who chose to remain anonymous. They relate to postcode areas, rather than individual full postcodes or council boundaries.
