Lambeth has hours to claim £1M Euromillions prize

A lucky gambler from Lambeth, London, faces a ticking clock with just hours left until midnight on Sunday, March 2, 2025, to claim a £1 million prize—equivalent to roughly £7.4 million—won in the Euromillions draw last September. The winning ticket, purchased for draw number 1769, belongs to the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker, a side game ensuring at least one £1 million winner per round in the UK, yet no one has stepped forward to claim the fortune. If unclaimed by the deadline, the prize will be redirected to social projects funded by the National Lottery, which raises £30 million weekly for causes like elderly support, youth disability programs, and cultural initiatives. With the deadline looming, lottery officials have ramped up appeals, urging Lambeth residents to check their tickets before the money slips away to benefit over 620,000 community projects backed by the lottery since 1994.

Launched in 2004 by France, Spain, and the UK, the Euromillions has awarded over €230 billion in prizes across nine countries, with jackpots reaching up to €250 million. In the UK, every £2.50 ticket automatically enters the Millionaire Maker, generating a random code of four letters and five numbers—like the Lambeth winner’s MMVJ 92833. The 180-day claim period began on September 3, 2024, giving the winner over five months to come forward, yet the prize remains unclaimed as the final hours approach. This isn’t unusual: in 2024 alone, £7.2 million in UK lottery prizes went unclaimed, including £1 million in Bury and £3.6 million in Kent, highlighting the challenge of tracking down distracted winners.

Lambeth, a diverse borough near central London with 326,000 residents, saw the ticket sold at a local outlet, but the winner’s identity remains elusive. The National Lottery’s urgent campaign underscores a history of unclaimed prizes boosting social good—£1.2 billion since 1994—including £18,000 for a hearing-impaired support group in Rhondda and £350,000 for the Shine charity in 2023. As the clock ticks, Lambeth’s mystery millionaire risks joining this trend unless they act before the cutoff.

180-day deadline nears its end

The Lambeth winner has until midnight on Sunday to contact the National Lottery and claim the £1 million prize. The 180-day window, standard for all Euromillions draws in the UK, started on the draw date, September 3, 2024, and closes today, March 2, 2025.

If the deadline passes without a claim, the funds will flow into the National Lottery’s good causes pot, which has distributed £47 billion since 1994, supporting everything from small community efforts to major national programs. The countdown has fueled last-minute calls for players to dig through pockets and drawers.

Lambeth buzzes with millionaire mystery

Residents of Lambeth, a lively borough known for its cultural mix, are being urged to scour their belongings for the winning ticket bearing the code MMVJ 92833. Purchased locally, the ticket tied to the September draw has kept the area on edge as the deadline looms with no claimant in sight.

The September win joins a string of big UK prizes, including a £177 million jackpot in November 2024, the third largest in British history. Lambeth’s unclaimed £1 million adds suspense, with locals hopeful for a last-second revelation before the prize slips away.

Timeline of Lambeth’s unclaimed prize

The saga of the unclaimed £1 million follows a clear timeline since the draw. Here are the key milestones:

• September 3, 2024: Euromillions draw awards MMVJ 92833 in Lambeth.
• January 31, 2025: National Lottery issues first deadline alert with 30 days left.
• February 21, 2025: Campaign ramps up with one week remaining.
• March 2, 2025: Final day to claim £1 million before it funds social projects.

This schedule underscores the growing urgency as the cutoff nears, with less than a day to go.

Euromillions rules shape the stakes

Every £2.50 Euromillions ticket in the UK includes an automatic Millionaire Maker entry, generating a unique code like Lambeth’s MMVJ 92833. Unlike the main jackpot, which requires matching five numbers and two lucky stars, the Millionaire Maker awards £1 million per winning code, regardless of the primary draw. Since its start, the game has minted 704 UK millionaires by 2024, with prizes ranging from £1 million to a record £195 million in July 2022.

The 180-day claim rule is strict: unclaimed winnings are rerouted to good causes, as seen with a £1 million prize lost in Rhondda Cynon Taf in October 2024. Over £1.2 billion in unclaimed prizes have bolstered 620,000 projects since 1994, making Lambeth’s fate a potential repeat.

Claim process offers final chance

To secure the prize, the Lambeth winner must present the ticket—physical or digital—with the code MMVJ 92833, contact the National Lottery via phone or online, and complete a validation process. In 2024, £7.2 million in prizes went unclaimed across the UK, including £1 million in Bury and £3.6 million in Kent, often due to lost tickets or oversight.

Alerts began in January 2025, escalating in February, yet the winner remains silent. With hours left, a final push could still save the £1 million from joining the unclaimed tally.

Fascinating facts about unclaimed wins

Lambeth’s case sheds light on lottery quirks in the UK. Here are some standout details:

• Over £1.2 billion in unclaimed prizes have been redirected since 1994.
• The Millionaire Maker has created 704 UK millionaires by 2024.
• The largest unclaimed prize was £63.8 million, lost in Hampshire in 2012.
• Good causes receive £30 million weekly from lottery funds.

These figures highlight the scale of forgotten winnings and their community impact.

Millionaire’s fate hangs in balance

With under a day until the deadline, Lambeth’s £1 million remains unclaimed, echoing cases like the £63.8 million lost in 2012. If no one steps forward by midnight, the funds will support causes like disability aid, social inclusion, and youth programs, which have received £47 billion since 1994.

The National Lottery’s search has gripped media and locals, yet silence prevails. Other 2024 prizes, like £1 million in Swansea (due April) and £321,000 in Winchester (May), await claimants, hinting Lambeth may be the first of several losses this year.