Buy UK Thunderball Tickets Online

Editor rating:
4.3
UK Thunderball is a popular lottery with four draws per week and great odds that costs only £1 per play. While its jackpots are capped at £500,000, they are guaranteed-meaning they never have to be split among multiple winners.
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What we like

Four chances to win per week
Decent odds for a guaranteed jackpot
Jackpots are not pari-mutuel

What we dislike

Static jackpot that doesn’t roll over
Jackpot could be bigger

As the second-largest lottery in the United Kingdom, UK Thunderball is a lottery you have probably heard of before.

In this guide, we will look at what makes this lottery so special and review all the things you should know if you want to claim one of its great prizes. We'll also explain how you can buy UK Thunderball tickets online.

About UK Thunderball

Camelot Group, the same organisation behind UK Lotto, launched Thunderball in June 1999 as a weekly Saturday draw.

The game quickly gained popularity amongst the local lottery players.

Fast forward a few years, and the game has undergone many significant changes. These include how many draws take place each week, the machines used to draw results and even the jackpot.

Today, UK Thunderball is a popular lottery both in the UK and across the globe. The game’s charitable efforts also help keep it at the forefront of many people’s minds when choosing a lottery to play.

UK Thunderball Draws

UK Thunderball LogoOver the years, UK Thunderball moved from a draw that took place just once a week to one that now happens four times each week.

Draws are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm GMT at the National Lottery head office in London.

All draws are broadcast live, and the results are posted as soon as the draw has been concluded.

How to Play UK Thunderball

The game uses a familiar double-matrix (5/39 + 1/14) system. If you have played in other big international lotteries, this double-matrix format should be familiar to you.

To play, you will need to select five numbers from a pool ranging from 1 to 39. You will then need to choose a single Thunderball from a pool ranging from 1 to 14.

To win the jackpot, you must match all five main numbers and the Thunderball.

If you don’t want to pick your own numbers, you can opt to use the quick pick option offered. For this game, a quick pick is branded as Lucky Dip.

Tickets cost just £1 each (when buying from inside the UK).

UK Thunderball Prizes and Odds

UK Thunderball offers a staggering nine prize tiers, including the jackpot. This means that there are plenty of ways that you can win.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 8,060,598.

These are really great when considering that other local lotteries like UK Lotto (1 in 45,057,474) and Set for Life (1 in 15,339,390) have odds much higher than these.

However, unlike other local lotteries, Thunderball’s jackpot is not as excessive.

The jackpot is set at a static £500,000. This, and all other prizes, are fixed.

The full pay table offered is listed below:

Numbers Matched

Odds of Winning

Fixed Prize

5 + Thunderball

1 in 8,060,598

£500,000

5

1 in 620,046

£5,000

4 + Thunderball

1 in 47,416

£250

4

1 in 3,648

£100

3 + Thunderball

1 in 1,437

£20

3

1 in 111

£10

2 + Thunderball

1 in 135

£10

1 + Thunderball

1 in 35

£5

Thunderball only

1 in 29

£3

Claiming UK Thunderball Prizes

The process of claiming your prize will depend on how much you have won. This is pretty standard for most lotteries, so we are not entirely shocked.

For any prize up to £500, you can claim your prize at any authorised lottery reseller or post office.

Prizes between £501 and £30,000 can be claimed at the lottery offices, post office or via mail.

If, however, you are a jackpot winner, you will need to arrange with the National Lottery to claim your prize in person at one of its offices. You will need to verify your identity when claiming your prize.

All prizes are paid out as a cash lump sum, and there is no option for an annuity.

Also, the UK doesn’t impose any taxes on lottery winnings. Players from other countries, however, should check their local tax laws.

Notable UK Thunderball Winners

Because the jackpot was set at a static amount of £500,000 way back in 2010, there have been no outrageous wins.

However, there have been plenty of people that have had their lives changed by winning £500,000. Especially since the draw now takes place four times a week.

Another great thing is that the £500,000 jackpot is not pari-mutuel. Each winner is guaranteed to receive £500,000 regardless of how many winners there are for a particular draw.

UK Thunderball-Should You Play?

UK Thunderball is a great lottery that gives you four chances every week to change your life with a decent £500,000 jackpot.

While the game may not have the highest jackpot ever, it has pretty good odds of winning and a reasonable ticket price.

If both of those sound good to you, this is certainly a game worth buying lottery tickets for.

UK Thunderball - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I play UK Thunderball?
The game uses a double-matrix (5/39 + 1/14) system. This means you must choose five numbers between 1 and 39 and a single Thunderball number between 1 and 14. If you don’t want to choose your own numbers, there is a quick pick option titled Lucky Dip.
Do I have to share my UK Thunderball jackpot with other winners?
No. Unlike other lotteries that offer a pari-mutuel jackpot, UK Thunderball offers a guaranteed jackpot. This means that regardless of how many players match all six numbers, each player will receive the full jackpot amount of £500,000.
What is the minimum jackpot of UK Thunderball?
The minimum (and maximum) jackpot offered is £500,000. This is a static jackpot that doesn’t increase or decrease.
What are the chances of winning the UK Thunderball jackpot?
Your odds of winning the UK Thunderball jackpot are 1 in 8,060,598. These are better than any other UK lottery offered by the National Lottery.
When can I play UK Thunderball?
Draws are held at 8 PM GMT four times a week. They occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets stop being sold at 7:30 PM the night of each draw.

Comments

Tobias

This seems like a pretty well balanced game - and love that the jackpots are guarnateed no matter how many winners there are .

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