National Lottery Shuts Down for 36 Hours This Weekend in Massive Tech Overhaul
Biggest Upgrade in 31 Years
The National Lottery is hitting pause for 36 hours this weekend as operator Allwyn rolls out the biggest tech upgrade in its 31-year history. Starting at 11pm on Saturday, 2 August, right after the Lotto and Thunderball draws, all lottery ticket sales and prize claims in shops across the UK will be suspended until late Monday morning, 4 August.
The National Lottery website and mobile app will also be offline during this time.
Why the Shutdown?
Allwyn, the Czech firm that took over the 10-year National Lottery licence from Camelot earlier this year, calls it a “once-in-a-generation” tech overhaul. The current system dates back to 2009, so the upgrade is vital.
The improvements include:
- Moving gaming and retail systems to fresh new platforms
- Upgrading in-store lottery terminals
- Setting the stage for brand new draw-based games
Allwyn warns some retail terminals might face minor delays booting up after the upgrade if issues arise.
CEO Andria Vidler said:
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver the National Lottery that the UK deserves. We’re making unprecedented and much-needed changes – launching new games, improving the player experience, and doubling returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m per week by the end of our 10-year licence.”
Can You Still Buy Tickets?
You should buy your tickets, check results, and claim any prizes before 11pm on Saturday to avoid disappointment.
During the 36-hour outage:
- No draw-based tickets can be bought in stores or online
- You can’t check results or claim prizes at retailers or online
- Scratchcards and Instant Win games remain available
- Draw results will be broadcast on the National Lottery 1 TV channel after Saturday’s final draws
This shutdown comes after earlier delays caused by a legal fight with former supplier International Games Technology (IGT), which was resolved only when IGT dropped its legal challenge.
Despite the disruption, Allwyn says this upgrade is essential to “restore the magic” of the National Lottery and boost its impact on communities across the UK.
Upcoming Draws to Watch
- Set For Life – Thursday, 31 July
- EuroMillions & EuroMillions Hotpicks – Friday, 1 August
- Thunderball – Friday, 1 August
- Lotto & Lotto Hotpicks – Saturday, 2 August
Make sure to check your results before the systems go offline late Saturday night.
