Thinking about entering a lottery, but not sure whether to go for the Postcode Lottery or the National Lottery? It is a common question, especially when you want to understand how each works, what the odds look like, and the size of prizes on offer.
These two lotteries take very different approaches. One is based on your postcode, the other uses numbers you select. Some people like the community feel of postcode-based wins, while others prefer the bigger individual prizes that can come with number draws.
If you want a clear picture of how winners are chosen, what you could win, and how prize money is handled, this guide sets everything out side by side so you can make an informed choice.
How Do The Postcode Lottery And National Lottery Differ?
The main difference is how you take part. With the People’s Postcode Lottery, your ticket is your postcode, which links your entry to where you live. If your postcode is drawn, everyone who plays with that postcode gets a payout, often the same amount per ticket. Most people join on a monthly subscription, and there are daily and weekly draws, including larger weekend prizes.
The National Lottery works differently. You buy a ticket and select numbers, or use a random pick, for games like Lotto or EuroMillions. Draws are held on set days, and you can choose when to enter rather than subscribing.
Prize awards also follow different models. In the Postcode Lottery, several neighbours can win together because prizes are tied to the winning postcode. In the National Lottery, payouts depend on how many numbers your ticket matches, with specific prize tiers for each game.
Both lotteries direct a portion of proceeds to good causes, though the mechanisms differ, and both are regulated by the Gambling Commission for fairness and player protection.
Curious whether you can join and how to get started? That is up next.
Who Can Play Each Lottery And How Do You Enter?
To play the People’s Postcode Lottery, you must be 18 or over and have a valid UK address in England, Scotland, or Wales. It is not available in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. You can sign up online or by phone, register your postcode, and set up a monthly subscription.
For the National Lottery, you must also be 18 or over and physically located in the UK or Isle of Man when you buy a ticket. You can take part whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or the Isle of Man. Residents of the Channel Islands cannot buy National Lottery tickets. You can purchase in shops that sell National Lottery products, or play online by creating an account and completing identity checks.
Both lotteries use age and address verification to confirm eligibility before allowing play.
Ticket Costs, Draw Frequency And Entry Rules
A single entry to the People’s Postcode Lottery costs £12.25 per month, paid by Direct Debit. This covers entry into all draws in that period. You can hold more than one ticket by paying for additional entries, subject to a cap set by the operator. Draws run daily from Monday to Sunday, with larger awards, such as the Street Prize, usually announced at weekends.
For the National Lottery, the main Lotto costs £2 per line and EuroMillions costs £2.50 per line. Other games, including Thunderball and Set For Life, have their own entry prices. Draws take place on fixed days. For example, Lotto is drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays, EuroMillions on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Set For Life on Mondays and Thursdays.
If the schedule and price points help set expectations, the next thing most players check is how the odds compare.
How Do The Odds Compare Between Both Lotteries?
Before picking a game, it helps to understand how the odds stack up. The comparison below highlights headline probabilities—such as the chance of winning the jackpot, the overall odds of any prize, and how number pools and bonus balls influence outcomes—so you can quickly see which lottery is harder to win and by how much.
Odds For The Postcode Lottery
In the People’s Postcode Lottery, the headline chance of winning any prize is published as roughly 1 in 2 across a typical month. This figure covers everything from small daily amounts to larger weekly awards. Because your ticket is tied to a postcode, multiple players in the winning postcode can all receive a payout at the same time.
The likelihood of any one postcode being drawn is the same as any other active postcode in the relevant draw. Odds can shift over time if the number of active entries changes, and outcomes vary depending on the structure of that month’s draws.
Odds For The National Lottery
Odds vary by game. In Lotto, the chance of matching all six main numbers to win the jackpot is 1 in 45,057,474. The odds improve for lower tiers, with a 1 in 97 chance of matching three main numbers for a fixed cash prize.
EuroMillions has longer odds for the top prize, at 1 in 139,838,160 for matching all numbers, but it also has several smaller prize tiers with better probabilities. Each game publishes its own prize table and odds, and draws use independently verified random processes.
Knowing the odds is only half the story. It also helps to understand how prizes are structured and what typical payouts look like.
Prize Structures And Typical Payouts
Understanding how prize pools are allocated and what typical payouts look like will help you set expectations and make informed decisions. Below, we outline common distribution models, the share awarded to different finishing positions, and the key factors that can affect the final amounts.
Postcode Lottery Prize Breakdown
The People’s Postcode Lottery runs daily draws with a mix of small and larger prizes across the week. Weekday announcements often include smaller cash amounts, such as £10 or £20. Weekends usually feature higher-value awards, with the Street Prize commonly set at £30,000 per winning ticket. Every ticket in a winning postcode receives the same amount, so several neighbours can benefit together.
There are also special promotions at certain times of the year that offer bigger pots, sometimes up to £1 million, shared among winning postcodes. The share an individual receives depends on how many tickets they hold within that postcode.
National Lottery Prize Breakdown
The National Lottery has several games, each with its own prize table. For the main Lotto, the advertised jackpot typically starts at around £2 million on Wednesdays and £3.8 million on Saturdays, and it can grow if there are no top-tier winners. Lower tiers pay fixed amounts, such as a set prize for matching three numbers, with higher tiers increasing in value as more numbers match.
EuroMillions offers larger top-end prizes, sometimes exceeding £100 million during rollover periods, alongside multiple lower tiers. Thunderball and Set For Life work differently again, with their own maximum payouts and prize structures, all set out clearly before you buy a ticket.
If a prize comes your way, the next question is how the money reaches you.
How Are Winnings Claimed And Paid Out?
With the People’s Postcode Lottery, winners are contacted using the details provided at registration. Prizes are usually paid automatically into your bank account, so there is no form to fill in for standard amounts. Larger wins, such as the Street Prize or special-event awards, may involve a call to confirm details before payment.
For the National Lottery, the claiming process depends on how you entered. Online wins up to £500 are typically paid straight into your account balance and then to your bank. Amounts between £501 and £50,000 can usually be claimed online, subject to verification. For prizes above £50,000, you will need to contact the operator to arrange checks and discuss how funds will be paid.
If you bought your ticket in a shop, smaller prizes can often be collected in-store, while larger wins require a claim form and proof of identity. Payments are then arranged by bank transfer or cheque, depending on the amount.
Support is available if you want to play in a safer way. For confidential advice and tools, visit begambleaware.org.
**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.