Charlotte Peart of Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, won a £1 million EuroMillions HotPicks prize in August 2018, but her husband refused to believe the news because she had pranked him with a fake lottery win just two weeks earlier.
The then-28-year-old mother of three secured the top prize in the August 28, 2018 EuroMillions HotPicks draw using a leftover £1.50 balance in her online National Lottery account. She had originally logged in to deposit £10, but noticed the spare change and decided to purchase a single ticket instead.
“I went to deposit £10 into my online lottery account, and saw there was £1.50 sitting in there, so I used that to get a ticket, and it happened to be the winning draw,” Peart told reporters. “It was definitely a £1.50 well spent — and it was pure luck.”
How a joke backfired before the real win
Two weeks prior to her genuine win, Peart had played a joke on her husband, Daniel, a self-employed carpenter. She used a fake scratch-off card to convince him they had won £250,000. The prank was highly convincing, which made sharing the news of the actual £1 million jackpot exceptionally difficult.
When Peart called Daniel at work to explain that they had actually won £1 million, he assumed she was attempting the same joke twice. “He didn’t believe me,” Peart said. Daniel was so skeptical that he handed his phone to his brother rather than listen to his wife’s explanation.
The win was only confirmed for Daniel after he logged into their shared online lottery account and saw the verified £1,000,000 balance. Peart herself admitted she initially doubted the notification on her computer screen, mistaking the official alert for an online advertisement.
“I don’t even think you can describe it in 1,000 words, because tre so many emotions you feel,” Peart said when describing the realization. “You want to laugh, cry and scream, tre so many feelings that go through your mind, but all I could think was, ‘Our lives are about to change.'”
Understanding EuroMillions HotPicks
The winning ticket matched all five main numbers drawn on August 28, 2018: 4, 16, 32, 42, and 46. The odds of matching all five numbers in the EuroMillions HotPicks draw are 1 in 2,118,760.
EuroMillions HotPicks is a separate game from the main EuroMillions draw, though it uses the same winning numbers. Players must decide in advance how many numbers they want to try and match, from one to five. Unlike the standard game, which offers lower-tier prizes for partial matches, HotPicks requires players to match every single chosen number to win. If a player enters the Pick 5 game and matches only four numbers, they receive no prize at all.
For those interested in how the standard game operates, reviewing EuroMillions odds and prizes explains the different tier requirements. Players can also access previous winning numbers for all EuroMillions draws to track historic results.
| Game Tier | Numbers to Match | Prize Amount | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick 5 | 5 numbers | £1,000,000 | 1 in 2,118,760 |
| Pick 4 | 4 numbers | £30,000 | 1 in 13,811 |
| Pick 3 | 3 numbers | £1,500 | 1 in 314 |
| Pick 2 | 2 numbers | £100 | 1 in 22 |
| Pick 1 | 1 number | £10 | 1 in 3 |
Tax rules and anonymity for UK lottery winners
In the United Kingdom, lottery winnings are paid as a tax-free lump sum because the National Lottery duty is levied on ticket sales rather than individual prizes. This makes the tax-free status of UK lottery prizes highly favorable compared to jurisdictions where lottery winnings are treated as taxable income.
Additionally, UK lottery winners have the right to remain completely anonymous or to make a public announcement. The Pearts chose to go public with their win. Different European countries have varying laws regarding whether a winner’s identity must be disclosed, as detailed in our guide on EuroMillions anonymity options.
Life after the win
Three months after confirming their win, the Pearts purchased a larger home in Whittlesey, a location where Charlotte had wanted to live since childhood. They also booked a three-day family trip to Lapland shortly after receiving the funds.
“The house and holidays were the two things we were really pleased about, and we wouldn’t have been able to do them without winning the lottery,” Peart said.
Peart had played the lottery occasionally since she was 19 years old. However, it was Daniel who had long expected a win, having told his mother at the age of 13 that he would win the lottery one day.
How to play international lotteries online
Players outside the United Kingdom or other participating EuroMillions countries can still access major lottery draws. Learning how to play international lotteries allows players to use online ticket courier services safely. You can also secure your entries and buy EuroMillions tickets online through verified platforms that purchase official physical tickets on your behalf.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EuroMillions and EuroMillions HotPicks?
EuroMillions HotPicks is a separate game that uses only the main five numbers from the standard EuroMillions draw. Players must choose exactly how many numbers they want to match (from one to five) and must match all of them to win their selected tier. Tre no Lucky Star numbers used in HotPicks.
Are UK lottery winnings subject to inheritance or income tax?
Lottery winnings in the UK are completely free of income tax and capital gains tax at the time of receipt. However, once the money is deposited, any interest earned on the capital is subject to standard income tax rules, and the funds may be subject to inheritance tax if gifted or left in an estate.
Can EuroMillions players in the UK remain anonymous?
Yes. The UK National Lottery allows all major prize winners to choose whether they want to go public with their names and stories or claim their prize with complete anonymity.
Play responsibly. Lottery is a form of entertainment, not investment.
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