A new study by WDW Bingo has revealed the luckiest cities in the UK for winning the lottery, based on an analysis of postcode lottery wins, millionaire winners and residents' interest in chasing jackpots.
The research considered the number of millionaires and winners with prizes of £50,000 or more, as well as the volume of month Google searches for “lottery results.”
It claims that with 13 £1m winners per 100,000 people, Newcastle Upon Tyne is the UK’s jackpot hotspot.
Sheffield came eighth in the ranking with a large number of big lottery winners - for every 100,000 residents, there are 12 newly-made millionaires, and more than 75 have won prizes of over £50,000. And, for a city of over 400,000 people, it has also seen more than 1,000 postcode lottery winners, far outstripping more populated cities like Leeds and Glasgow.
In Sheffield, there have been 1,061 wins in the postcode lottery since it launched in 2005.
Harrison Score, Head of WDW Bingo, comments: “When it comes to the lottery, it's clear that some places have a winning track record. Our analysis shows that factors like a high number of jackpot winners and an enthusiastic community that regularly checks for results all contribute to a city's luck. This study isn't just about who has won the most; it’s about a city's collective spirit and hope for a big win."
To celebrate the relative luck of Sheffield, here are some of the people in the city and its surrounding areas who have won big in various lottery draws over the years.
1. All smiles
Lottery winner Michael Turner with wife Lesley and children Emma and Sam at their home in Swangate, Brampton. They hit the jackpot with a £3,089,944 win in April 2003 | Photo: Andrew Partridge
2. Missed bus brings good fortune
Scratchcard Merry Millionaire winner Richard Carr, from Doncaster, celebrates with his mother Sarah Simmons. Richard, who was working as a general assistant at a hotel, told how he had bought the scratchcard while waiting for the next bus after dropping his son home, having missed the bus he was aiming for | Photo: Marie Caley
3. Lucky trip to the Co-Op
Co-op dividend... Thorne woman Susan Waters, aged 58, celebrating her £108,835 Lotto win at the Co-op where she bought her ticket in October 2006 | Photo: Steve Taylor
4. Delighted Deana
National Lottery winner Deana Sampson, who scooped £5.4m on the Lotto in 1996, is seen here returning to Stradbroke Post Office, Sheffield where she bought her winning ticket. She is pictured with postmistress Balwinder Dhillon, who sold her the ticket, in June 2018 when she unveiled a new gold lottery playing point, complete with her lucky hand print for other lottery players to rub | Chris Etchells