National Lottery: The most common winning numbers for Lotto, EuroMillions, ThunderBall and Set For Life

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Here are all the most - and least - commonly drawn numbers for Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball and Set For Life

If you’re partial to a flutter on the National Lottery, you might have a set of numbers that you use every week or tend to opt for a lucky dip. Regardless, it can sometimes feel like certain lottery numbers are drawn more often than others.

With this in mind, Slotsia analysed the results from previous National Lottery games to see which numbers come up the most and least frequently in the Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball and Set For Life lotteries. The casino comparison site also looked at the overall odds of winning the jackpot for each of these four games.

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Lotto

Lotto is the National Lottery’s longest-running game since launching in November 1994. The game runs twice a week, and players can select six numbers between 1 and 59 to play with. The winning numbers for each game are drawn on Wednesdays at 8pm and Saturday evenings at 7.45pm.

Players must match all six main numbers to win the jackpot, which was £6.3 million per game on average in 2022, or match five main numbers plus the bonus ball to win £1 million. The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot prize stand at 1 in 45,057,474.

Based on 742 Lotto games, these are the most and least commonly drawn numbers:

MOST COMMON

  • 52 (number of times drawn - 99)
  • 58 (number of times drawn - 89)
  • 39 (number of times drawn - 88)
  • 37 (number of times drawn - 87)
  • 27 (number of times drawn - 86)

LEAST COMMON

  • 9 (number of times drawn - 65)
  • 48 (number of times drawn - 65)
  • 5 (number of times drawn - 66)
  • 43 (number of times drawn -67)
  • 22 (number of times drawn - 67)
  • 24 (number of times drawn - 68)

EuroMillions

The first ever EuroMillions lottery draw took place on February 13 2004 when the UK, France and Spain were the only countries eligible to participate. Play was extended later that year to other European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.

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In the EuroMillions, UK players can pay £2.50 to pick five main numbers between 1 and 50 as well as two Lucky Stars numbers between 1-12. The EuroMillions can be played twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, when the numbers are drawn at 8.45pm.

For 2022, the average EuroMillions jackpot for each game is £71.5 million, and the approximate odds of winning it are 1 in 139,838,160. Based on 641 EuroMillions games, these are the most and least commonly drawn numbers.

MOST COMMON

  • 21 (number of times drawn - 77)
  • 20 (number of times drawn - 77)
  • 17 (number of times drawn - 77)
  • 42 (number of times drawn - 76)
  • 23 (number of times drawn - 75)
  • 2 Lucky Star (number of time drawn - 131)
  • 3 Lucky Star (number of times drawn - 130)

LEAST COMMON

  • 22 (number of times drawn - 49) 
  • 18 (number of times drawn - 49)
  • 40 (number of tims drawn - 51)
  • 33 (number of times drawn - 52)
  • 8 (number of times drawn - 54)
  • 5 Lucky Star (number of times drawn - 86)
  • 10 Lucky Star (number of times drawn - 90)
 A punter fills out a National Lottery ticket. A punter fills out a National Lottery ticket.
A punter fills out a National Lottery ticket. | Getty Images

ThunderBall

The first ThunderBall draw was held on June 12 1999, when the jackpot was only half what it currently is today. UK players can enter this lottery for a rather reasonable £1, where they can pick five main numbers between 1 and 39 as well as one ThunderBall between 1 and 14. ThunderBall draws are held four times a week, on Tuesday and Friday at 8pm and on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8.15pm.

If a player matches all five main numbers as well as the ThunderBall, they win the jackpot of £500,000, however, the approximate odds of winning this prize stand at 1 in 8,060,598. Based on 2,211 Thunderball games, these are the most and least commonly drawn numbers:

MOST COMMON

  • 30 (number of times drawn - 313)
  • 4 (number of times drawn - 303)
  • 29 (number of times drawn - 302)
  • 32 (number of times drawn - 301)
  • 34 (number of times drawn - 301)
  • 13 ThunderBall (number of times drawn - 179)

LEAST COMMON

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  • 12 (number of times drawn - 254)
  • 35 (number of times drawn - 255)
  • 14 (number of times drawn - 260)
  • 25 (number of times drawn - 262)
  • 37 (number of times drawn - 267)
  • 9 ThunderBall (number of times drawn - 134)

Set For Life

Rather than offering a lump sum, Set For Life really does as its name suggests, granting the jackpot winner £10,000 every month for 30 years if they correctly match all six numbers. Set up in March 2019, players of this game can select five numbers between 1 and 47 as well as one Life Ball between 1 and 10. The approximate odds of winning the jackpot on Set for Life are 1 in 15,339,390.

Based on 383 Set For Life games, these are the most and least commonly drawn numbers:

MOST COMMON

  • 21 (number of times drawn - 53)
  • 42 (number of times drawn - 52)
  • 8 (number of times drawn - 51)
  • 29 (number of times drawn - 50)
  • 32 (number of times drawn - 50)
  • 7 Life Ball (number of times drawn - 48)

LEAST COMMON

  • 30 (number of times drawn - 27) 
  • 1 (number of times drawn - 29)
  • 14 (number of times drawn - 30)
  • 41 (number of times drawn - 31)
  • 12 (number of times drawn - 31)
  • 4 Life Ball (number of times drawn - 29)

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