How Many of My Neighbours Are In The Postcode Lottery? (UK)

If you’ve ever wondered how many people on your street might be taking part in the People’s Postcode Lottery, you’re not alone. 

This UK-based lottery works differently from traditional lottery draws. It uses postcodes instead of individual numbers and operates on a subscription basis. 

This blog will explain what the People’s Postcode Lottery is, how it works, how prizes are divided, and what you can and can’t find out about other players in your area. If you’re new to lotteries or gambling in general, don’t worry – this guide is designed to help you understand the basics clearly and confidently.

What Is The Postcode Lottery?

The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription-based lottery available to residents of the UK. Instead of choosing random numbers like in many traditional lotteries, your entry is based on your full postcode – the same one used for your post and deliveries.

To take part, you sign up and pay £12.25 a month per ticket. This subscription enters your postcode into daily and weekend prize draws automatically. The cost covers 20 draws each month, including special weekly and monthly draws. These are not instant-win games. They’re draw-based, which means winners are chosen at random using a computer system called a Random Number Generator (RNG), ensuring fairness.

Each day, 20 postcodes are selected and each ticket in a winning postcode receives £1,000. On Saturdays, the Millionaire Street Prize is drawn, and players in one postcode share £1 million. From May to November 2025, a different postcode will be drawn each month where each ticket will win £250,000. In April and December 2025, a sector of postcodes will share £12 million and £18 million respectively in what’s called the Postcode Millions draw.

There are also additional prize draws throughout the year. Some offer non-cash prizes, like vouchers or gift cards. Others award £15 to every ticket in 1,000 winning postcodes. All potential prizes and schedules are published in the Postcode Lottery’s Prize Draw Calendar on their official website.

It’s important to understand that this is a random game of chance. There are no patterns or strategies that will increase your chances of winning. Gambling responsibly means recognising this.

Can You See How Many Neighbours Are In The Postcode Lottery?

It’s natural to be curious about whether others in your neighbourhood are also playing.

However, the People’s Postcode Lottery does not publish how many individuals are subscribed in each postcode. This is due to privacy rules and data protection laws.

That said, you might be able to get a general idea by chatting with neighbours. Some participants display promotional stickers in their windows or letterboxes, but this isn’t a requirement.

You may also notice signage if a postcode nearby has won a prize in the past. Still, there’s no official tool to check participation figures for your street or area.

How Are The Postcode Lottery Prizes Divided?

When a postcode is drawn, only players who have subscribed using that postcode are eligible to receive a share of the prize. If more people are playing in that postcode, the prize is divided among more tickets. Each ticket wins an equal share of the allocated prize amount for that particular draw.

For example, if your postcode is selected in the daily £1,000 prize draw and five people on your street each hold one ticket, each will receive £1,000. If one person has two tickets, they’ll receive two shares, or £2,000 in that case. It’s the ticket, not the household, that matters.

It’s also worth noting that, under the Gambling Act 2005, no single ticket can win more than 10% of the draw’s total proceeds, and there is a maximum cap of £500,000 per ticket.

Why Do Some Areas Get More In The Postcode Lottery?

Sometimes you may notice that particular areas appear to win more frequently. While it may seem that way, every postcode entered into the draw has the same chance of being selected, regardless of where it is. The selection process is entirely random.

However, areas with more active players might receive more prize money if they do win. This is because prize amounts in some draws depend on the number of tickets held in the winning postcode.

So, if a winning postcode has many subscribed tickets, there’s more money to distribute. On the other hand, that also means the prize per ticket may be smaller compared to a postcode with fewer players.

There’s no advantage or disadvantage based on location. The number of entries simply affects how the prize gets shared once a postcode is drawn. Some draws also use postcode sectors (which cover a wider area) rather than individual postcodes, especially for large-scale prize events like Postcode Millions.

Can You Play Any Postcode In The Postcode Lottery?

To take part, you can only use your own current residential UK postcode. You can’t choose someone else’s postcode or select one you think might be ‘luckier’. This keeps things fair and ensures the draws reflect real residential areas.

Entries must be linked to actual, registered UK addresses. If you move, you’ll need to update your details with the lottery to make sure you remain eligible. You can cancel or change your subscription at any time.

Can You Check If Your Postcode Has Ever Won?

Yes. The People’s Postcode Lottery provides a tool on its website called the Postcode Checker. You can enter your full postcode to see if it has won in any past draws. 

This tool doesn’t show how often a postcode wins, only whether it has won in previous draws. Since all outcomes are randomly generated, past results don’t influence future ones. Each draw is independent of the last.

It’s important to treat all forms of gambling, including lotteries, as games of chance. There is no guaranteed way to win. If you decide to take part, only spend what you can afford to lose and think of the experience as entertainment, not a way to make money.

The People’s Postcode Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission and donates a minimum of 30% of every ticket price to good causes. For advice and managing how much you spend, visit BeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 for confidential support.

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*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.