More than 120 millionaires created by Lotto in 2008

As we embrace a brand new year and a whole host of new lottery opportunities, now is as good a time as any to take a look back on the previous year and celebrate those who struck lucky on Lotto in 2008.

Since the National Lottery began back in 1994, it has created an incredible 2,200 millionaires in the UK, but January 2008 saw the biggest ever male winner of the National Lottery game.

Steve Smith, a 59 year old Grandfather from Hemel Hempstead won an astonishing £18.9million when he became the sole winner of a triple rollover prize, which was only the fourth ever in the games history in the UK.

Steve's' prize was just a fraction of the £372,357,907 which was paid out in lottery wins throughout the course of 2008.

A spokesperson for the national lottery said in a statement:-

“Everyone dreams of winning the jackpot and joining the millionaires’ club, so it is fantastic to see so many have this year.

Steve Smith’s win was extraordinary but he was only one of the four million winners who experience that winning feeling every week.”

There were also 87 winners of major prizes of £50,000 or more who waited more than 14 days before coming forward to claim their prizes. One lucky winner waited a nail biting 48 days before claiming their mind-blowing £4.5million jackpot prize.

Of those 87 winners, 12 failed to claim their lottery wins before the 180 day cut off period had expired and the prize funds were allocated to a range of worthy causes.