People who are regular participants in the National Lottery and utilize its website and mobile applications have been informed about an upcoming scheduled shutdown within the next few days. This temporary halt will affect the seamless use of most services for approximately a day.
The National Lottery’s website and apps will undergo a planned 24-hour shutdown this weekend to implement a significant upgrade. Starting from 11 pm on January 24 until the end of Sunday, the national-lottery.co.uk website and the game’s iOS and Android apps will be temporarily paused.
Players will still be able to log in and play online until 11 pm on Saturday, with the Lotto and Thunderball draws scheduled as usual from 8 pm that day. During the offline period, players can continue to purchase tickets from retail outlets nationwide.
Results and prize breakdowns will be available on YouTube and at The National Lottery’s 43,500 retail locations. Prizes up to £500 from tickets bought in-store can be claimed in the usual manner.
Allwyn, the operator, mentioned that players can expect “a few” changes upon the website and app reactivation, including a new payment interface. The process of result checking, game playing, and prize claiming will be made more straightforward, with instructional videos and FAQs to assist players in understanding the key modifications.
Users with auto-updates enabled on the app will receive the new version automatically, while others will receive prompts to update during their next app launch. Allwyn also announced the introduction of mandatory personal deposit and spending limits for new customers, automatic logouts after 60 minutes with a 10-minute cooling-off period, and regular 20-minute “reality checks” for instant game players.
The National Lottery operator disclosed that the next phase of its “transformation journey” involves migrating the accounts of its 11.8 million active registered players to a new system. The revamped digital platforms will offer an expanded range of National Lottery games, enhanced protective measures, and a refreshed appearance while maintaining familiarity for existing players.
Upon completion of the upgrade, players will be able to log in as usual. Allwyn also hinted at more exciting developments in the forthcoming months following these digital enhancements.
Allwyn CEO Andria Vidler emphasized that the digital upgrades represent a significant step in making The National Lottery more player-centric, enhancing gameplay, increasing winners, and supporting Good Causes better. She highlighted ambitious plans to double weekly returns to Good Causes from £30 million to £60 million by 2034.
Previously, Allwyn had temporarily halted National Lottery sales and payouts for about 36 hours in July to accommodate the most extensive technology upgrade in the game’s 31-year history.
It is advised for National Lottery players to engage in responsible play by setting spending limits, avoiding chasing losses, and ensuring that playing does not disrupt their daily lives. The lottery is intended for entertainment and charitable support, not as a primary source of income, and tools are available to assist players in managing their expenditures.