The little known 'lottery rule' meant I missed out on the jackpot – I only got £2
A LOTTO player was left furious after a little-known rule meant he missed out on a life-changing £50,000 jackpot.
Nathan Moody, from Billingham in County Durham, was stunned when the shopkeeper at his local store scanned his ticket and the machine suddenly started beeping.
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The Low Grange Store worker told the 25-year-old he had achieved a colossal victory.
He informed Nathan that he had to call Lotto's head office to receive his eye-watering payout.
I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't talk, I was devastated'
Nathan Moody
After picking his jaw up off the floor again, the father of three started planning a family vacation and riding home on a flashy new motorcycle.
But in a devastating twist, Nathan discovered the next day that he had only received a free lucky dip worth two pounds.
The smoking gambler told it The Chronicle: “I was talking to my partner about arranging everything and paying my bills.
'We could have gotten a nice car and helped my mom and dad
“The most I have ever won is £100. I do it about once a month.”
Nathan described the moment he thought his life had changed forever.
Major changes at the National Lottery
Camelot, who has been in charge since 1994, will be replaced by Allwyn, chosen by the Gaming Commission.
THE February 1 transfer marked the first time the lottery has changed hands since it launched almost 30 years ago.
It is said to introduce a host of different rules, but promises to “revive” the draw as the number of winners dwindles.
They hope to launch new scratch cards initiatives with the idea of making it a trend to give them as gifts.
New products can even be scratch card advent calendars, as we see in the Netherlands.
One rule in particular surprised players as it could limit their chances of winning.
From February 1, gamblers will not be able to purchase more than 10 scratch cards at a time from online retail partners.
The company also announced that its original pledge to halve the price of a lottery ticket from £2 to £1 is being revised.
Long-awaited plans for new draw-based games have also been postponed until 2025.
“There was a beeping sound to indicate I had won. The shop assistant was quite shocked,” he explained.
'The machine told him it was a large payout and that I should contact the lottery head office.
“He gave me a pen and told me to write my name on the back of the card. Everyone in the store was over the moon for me.”
But Nathan actually had his ticket scanned during what's known as a 'draw pause' – a period immediately after a draw when numbers and prizes are worked out by Camelot.
Heartbroken, Nathan returned to the store the next day to check again, but his luck had run out.
He said: “The machine beeped again and I got a free lucky dip.
'That was it, he took the card and gave me the printout that says I am entitled to a lucky dip. I didn't win any money.
“I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't talk, I was devastated.
“I knew it wasn't the £1million lottery but I assumed it was one of ten £20,000 prizes.”
A spokesperson for National Lottery operator Camelot confirmed that the ticket had been scanned and the terminal displayed the following message: “Results not received. Return the ticket to the player and tell the player to check it another day.”
He described the message as “completely normal” and until this “draw pause” is over, no prizes can be awarded.
It comes as a couple thought they had banked a whopping £182million, only to be told a payment problem meant they couldn't claim the prize.
Furthermore, a cruel mistake caused these winners to lose over £30 million.
What is a tie
A draw pause is the period after a draw during which numbers and prizes are worked out by Camelot.
Until a draw break is over, no prizes can be awarded.
If a player scans their ticket during this time, they will see an error message appear.
It also marked the period between the close of game ticket sales prior to a draw and the resumption of game ticket sales for the next draw.
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