Glasgow and the west of Scotland has produced many of the big lotto wins in the last few years, with numerous residents having their lives changed by becoming instant millionaires. It may be more famous for fun nights out and friendly people, but it turns out that this is one of the best places to play the lottery. So, what are the facts and figures that back up the idea that Glasgow is one of the luckiest places to live?
The Lucky G Postcode
Research has shown that the G postcode is the luckiest in all of Scotland. There have been more new lottery millionaires created here than anywhere else in Scotland in the last five years. Overall, Glasgow is ranked second in the UK in terms of lottery millionaires. Over 100 Glaswegians have become millionaires thanks to the lottery since it started in the mid-1990s. This makes it second only to the much bigger Birmingham across the whole of the UK, ahead of Newcastle and Belfast.
In fact, 37 of those lucky Glaswegians won a million or more in just the last five years. From 2014 to 2016, this was the UK’s number one lottery hotspot, with 21 winners in the city. Those who live in the UK’s luckiest city and are called Claire or Barry also have the added benefit of having the luckiest names for winning the lottery, according to a study by Lottoland.
Interestingly, nearby Paisley was recently revealed to be the UK’s best place to win smaller but still worthwhile lottery prizes of £50,000 or more. Meanwhile, the ML postcode covering Motherwell, Wishaw and Shotts has also seen more than its fair share of happy winners in recent years.
Further down the Clyde, Chris and Colin Weir won one of the biggest jackpots in European history a few years ago. The couple from Largs won a staggering £161 million in what remains as the UK’s biggest ever lottery win.
Some Glasgow Success Stories
A National Lottery spokesperson said, “Congratulations to the people of Glasgow who live in one of the luckiest postcodes in the UK. Around 30 major prizes are won each week, and with more than 3,200 National Lottery Millionaires across the UK, nearly everyone will have a lucky winner in their neighbourhood.”
Robert McLaughlan from Glasgow who scooped £4.5 million Lotto Jackpot as part of a pub syndicate said: “I always knew Glasgow was a lucky place to live and now it’s a proven fact. Winning has completely changed my life for the better and I hope it happens to another lucky Glaswegian soon.”
While having a G postcode is no guarantee of success, it seems that Glaswegians have more reasons than most to feel confident when putting on their lucky numbers every week.