Health Lottery Prizes & Winnings: Odds, Payouts and How to Claim
The UK’s Health Lottery offers a range of lottery games designed to raise money for good causes across the country.
This guide focuses on how those games work, what you can potentially win, how the odds are calculated, and the steps to claim a prize if your numbers come up. It takes you through each part clearly, so you can better understand the process before choosing to take part.
What Are Health Lottery Prizes?
The Health Lottery operates several games, the main one being The Big Win. You choose five numbers between 1 and 50, and a separate bonus ball is drawn from the remaining numbers. Each draw offers set prizes based on how many numbers you successfully match.
Prizes are awarded for matching combinations of numbers, with cash prizes for higher matches and free tickets for smaller ones. The top fixed prize for matching all five main numbers is £25,000. Because this is a lottery, every draw is a random event. There is no guaranteed outcome or pattern that predicts future results.
Other Health Lottery games include All or Nothing, QuickWin, and Instant Win. Each game has its own structure, with unique rules and potential prizes. For example:
- All or Nothing is an online Health Lottery game where you pick 12 numbers from 1 to 24 for £1 per line. You win the £25,000 top prize if you match all 12 numbers
- QuickWin and Instant Win games are played online and reveal results immediately.
Since each game works differently, it can be worth checking the rules and prize tables on the official Health Lottery website before playing.
How Much Can You Win on the Health Lottery?
In The Big Win, the ticket price is £1 per line. The highest fixed prize available is £25,000 for matching all five main numbers in one draw. Prizes for other winning combinations are smaller, and each tier offers a fixed payout — if your numbers match a prize category, you receive the full amount for that tier.
Unlike the National Lottery, The Big Win doesn’t have a rolling jackpot or shared prize fund. This means that even if several players win in the same draw, each receives the full prize amount for their tier. Smaller prizes may include £10 or £50, depending on how many numbers are matched, while matching two main numbers or one main number plus the bonus ball gives you a free ticket for a future draw.
What Are the Odds of Winning the Health Lottery?
For The Big Win, the chances are as follows:
- Match 5 numbers – 1 in 2,118,760
- Match 4 numbers + bonus ball – 1 in 423,752
- Match 4 numbers – 1 in 9,631
- Match 3 numbers + bonus ball – 1 in 4,815
- Match 3 numbers – 1 in 224
- Match 2 numbers + bonus ball – 1 in 224
- Match 2 numbers – 1 in 16
- Match 1 number + bonus ball – 1 in 32
Overall, the chance of winning any prize in a draw is around 1 in 9.7.
Each draw is independent, meaning past results have no effect on future outcomes. No pattern or strategy can influence which numbers are drawn, as all games are based entirely on chance.
Health Lottery Prize Breakdown by Tier
Understanding how prizes are awarded in the Health Lottery’s main draw, The Big Win, can help you see what may be available, depending on how many numbers you successfully match. This section brings some key points together and explains how free tickets work in practice.
Main Draw Prizes
The prize structure for The Big Win is fixed. Each successful line that matches the required numbers receives the amount below:
- Match 5 main numbers – £25,000
- Match 4 main numbers + bonus ball – £10,000
- Match 4 main numbers – £300
- Match 3 main numbers + bonus ball – £50
- Match 3 main numbers – £10
- Match 2 main numbers + bonus ball – £5
- Match 2 main numbers – Free ticket
- Match 1 main number + bonus ball – Free ticket
These prizes are not shared among multiple winners in the same draw. Every qualifying entry is paid in full for its tier.
Free Ticket Prizes
If you match two main numbers or one main number and the bonus ball, you win a free entry into another Big Win draw.
Free tickets are issued automatically for online entries and printed for retail tickets. There is no cash alternative for these prizes, and they must be used before their expiry date shown on the ticket or in your online account.
How Are Health Lottery Winnings Paid Out?
How your winnings are paid depends on how you entered the draw.
Online or App Entries: Prizes of up to £2,000 are automatically credited to your Health Lottery wallet, and you can transfer the funds to your linked bank account whenever you choose. For winnings of £2,000 or more, payment is made by bank transfer once your claim has been verified. Larger prizes may require identity confirmation before the transfer is processed.
In-Store Tickets: Prizes of up to £50 are usually paid in cash at the retailer. Higher amounts are arranged through bank transfer after contacting The Health Lottery Helpline.
All prizes are paid as a single tax-free lump sum rather than in instalments.
How Do You Claim a Health Lottery Prize?
Claiming a Health Lottery prize is simple and depends on how you played.
Online Players: If you entered through the website or app and won up to £2,000, your winnings are added automatically to your online wallet and can be withdrawn at any time. For prizes of £2,000 or more, you’ll need to complete a claim form by contacting The Health Lottery Helpline. After verification, the funds are usually transferred to your bank account within about 14 working days.
Retail Players: If you bought a paper ticket in a participating shop, prizes of up to £50 can be claimed in-store. For larger wins, call the Helpline to confirm your details and arrange payment.
Free Ticket Winners: Free entries appear automatically in your online account or are printed on your shop receipt. These can be used in a future draw, but have no cash value.
All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date.
Do Health Lottery Prizes Expire?
Yes. All Health Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date. After that deadline, the prize cannot be paid. This applies to both online and in-store entries, including free tickets.
If you play online, make sure your contact details are up to date so that you don’t miss any notifications about any possible winnings. For printed tickets, it’s best to check your results soon after the draw.
Once the 180-day window has passed, any unclaimed prizes are distributed to health-related community projects across the UK.
Lotteries are games of chance, so winnings can never be guaranteed. There is no strategy or system that ensures a win, and the results are entirely random. If you choose to play, only spend what you can afford and consider setting personal limits to help manage your spending. Playing should be viewed as entertainment, not a source of income.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.