The UK's 'luckiest' (and 'unluckiest') areas for winning the postcode lottery

The UK’s ‘luckiest’ place – where residents are statistically most likely to win the Postcode Lottery – has been revealed. The People’s Postcode Lottery, which has been making millionaires since 2005, dishes out a life-changing sum to Brits every week, all based on where they live.

Now, a new study from OddsMonkey, who specialise in value betting, has analysed the total wins of each postcode area in the UK and calculated the number of winners per 10,000 residents, uncovering which parts of the UK have enjoyed the most – and least – Postcode Lottery luck.

To determine the exact figures, rounded to the nearest whole number, the total number of wins – including all draws from the launch of the lottery up to early March 2025 – has been calculated. This includes the daily £1,000 draw (Monday to Friday) across 20 postcodes, the weekly £1 million jackpot shared among ticket holders in a single postcode, and the monthly Postcode Millions draw, which distributes a prize pool of £3.2 million.

These win totals have been divided by each area’s population data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and then multiplied by 10,000 to establish the number of wins per 10,000 residents – the key metric revealing the luckiest and unluckiest postcode districts. Ultimately, it is a game of pure chance, but this data suggests that where you live might just tip the odds of winning in your favour.

Topping the list is Galashiels, a picturesque town in the Scottish Borders, where residents sharing the Tweeddale (TD) postcode have seen an astonishing 16 wins per 10,000 people. For comparison, London’s luckiest area only boasts two wins per 10,000 residents.

Scotland is well represented among the UK’s luckiest places, with Perth, Inverness, and the Outer Hebrides all making the cut. England’s luckiest areas include Shrewsbury, Exeter, and Lancaster, while Llandudno sneaks into tenth place as the luckiest location in Wales.

These are the top 10 luckiest locations:

Galashiels, Tweeddale (TD) – 16 wins per 10,000 residents

Outer Hebrides (HS) – 15 wins per 10,000 residents

Perth (PH) – 13 wins per 10,000 residents

Shrewsbury (SY) – 13 wins per 10,000 residents

Exeter (EX) – 13 wins per 10,000 residents

Lancaster (LA) – 12 wins per 10,000 residents

Taunton (TA) – 12 wins per 10,000 residents

Darlington (DL) – 12 wins per 10,000 residents

Inverness (IV) – 12 wins per 10,000 residents
Llandudno (LL) – 12 wins per 10,000 residents

It may come as no surprise that London dominates the list of unluckiest areas, with eight of the bottom ten located in the capital. Western Central London ranks as the worst place in the UK for Postcode Lottery success, with just 2.22 wins per 10,000 people – far behind the top-performing regions.

Even Manchester, one of the UK’s largest cities, finds itself among the least fortunate, with a relatively low win rate. Luton also struggles to compete, rounding out the ten unluckiest areas for lottery hopefuls.