Life after a lottery win

Around seven in 10 Lotto winners (71%) say they are happier now than before their win, while a further three in 10 winners (28%) say they are just as happy as before their win.

In a major survey, commission by National Lottery operator Camelot, MORI found out the main reasons for this happiness are greater financial security (57%), the ability to buy what they like (28%) and being able to look after family and children (12%).

A third of winners (34%) buy a car straightaway, while one in 10 (11%) buy new clothes or new jewellery. For around four in five (77%) the most expensive single purchase is a house, followed by a car (14%). A quarter of winners give up to 10% of their winnings to their family, while nearly a half more (45%) give family eleven to thirty percent. Almost three in five give up to 10% to friends, while two thirds give up to 10% to charity.

A third (31%) of jackpot winners who worked before their windfall still work. Winners' relationships remain stable; most (93%) still have the same best friend, while the majority of married winners (95%) remains married to the same person.

As to doing the Lotto, four in five jackpot winners (82%) still play every week -- and one in five (21%) is very confident of winning again.

Technical details

MORI interviewed 65 Lotto winners who had won over 1631million by telephone between 7 March and 24 April 2002. MORI conducted the first wave of this research for Camelot plc in 1999; these findings can be found at www.ipsos-mori.com/polls/1999/lottery.shtml