What’s The Latest Time You Can Buy a Lottery Ticket In The UK?

Did you know there is a cut-off time to buy lottery tickets in the UK? In this King Casino blog post, we’ll go through the latest time you can buy a lottery ticket online and in-store.

What Time Can You Buy Lottery Tickets Until? 

Although you can buy lottery tickets online, many players still like buying them in-store. Perhaps they enjoy getting their lottery ticket with their weekly food shop, or they just prefer doing it in person.

In-person lottery tickets can be bought in various places, including supermarkets, the Post Office and other shops. Within the shop’s opening hours, you can buy lottery tickets anytime. However, be sure to purchase your in-store lottery ticket before 7:30 pm on the day of the draw so you don’t miss out.

What Time Do Shops Stop Selling Lottery Tickets? 

You can buy lottery tickets in shops all day. Shops stop selling lottery tickets for any draws that day before 7:30 pm as this is when draws typically take place. To avoid missing out, buy your lottery tickets in advance to avoid any unnecessary disappointment. 

Can You Buy Lottery Tickets Online After The Cut-off Time?

Nowadays, most people buy their lottery tickets online as it’s super convenient, and you don’t have to remember to enter every week. 

You can buy lottery tickets after the cut-off time, but the ticket you buy will be for the next lottery draw.

Is The Cut-off Time The Same Time For All Days of the Week? 

The National Lottery has several draws, which take place on different days. This means that the cut-off times are different for all days of the week. You have until 7:30 pm on the day of the draw to buy your ticket(s). If you buy your ticket later than this, you will not be eligible for the current draw. The cut-off times for each lottery game are as follows:

• Lotto – Wednesday 7:30 pm, Saturday 7:30 pm
• Euromillions – Tuesday 7:30 pm, Friday 7:30 pm
• Set For Life – Monday 7:30 pm, Thursday 7:30 pm
• Lotto Hotpicks – Wednesday 7:30 pm, Saturday 7:30 pm
• Euromillions Hotpicks – Tuesday 7:30 pm, Friday 7:30 pm
• Thunderball – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 7:30 pm 

What Happens If You Buy a Lottery Ticket After The Cut-off Time? 

The time you buy doesn’t really matter (unless you want to be in a particular draw), as it does not affect your odds. The time or day you purchase your tickets does not influence your chances of winning.

If you would like to enter a particular draw – for example, there are special draws at Christmas/New Year that you may not want to miss – you must buy your tickets before the cut-off point on the day of the draw at 7:30 pm.
If you try to buy a ticket after the cut-off time, your ticket will apply to the next draw of that particular game – not the one that day.