National Lottery winners' spending choices revealed on 30th birthday

And tonight, exactly 30 years on from the first ever momentous draw taking place on 19 November 1994, there is an incredible estimated £140m EuroMillions jackpot up for grabs.

If one UK ticket-were to scoop the lot they'd be the seventh biggest National Lottery winner of all time, and they might very well follow in the footsteps of previous National Lottery winners when it comes to how they would spend their amazing fortune.

Nearly one in three (29%) winners take five or more holidays each year after winning big, with the average winner taking a cool 4.4.

The research comes as The National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday (Image: Jonathan Hipkiss Photography)

And moving house has also proved a top priority over the 30 years of The National Lottery winners, with almost three-quarters of them (74%) opting to relocate.

But it isn’t all palaces and mansions, with most winners moving to a four or five-bedroomed house and on average, winners owning three houses overall.

A walk-in wardrobe (41%), games room (33%), electronic gates (32%) and hot tub (31%) top the list of essential features installed in National Lottery winners’ homes, with a summer house (30%), river, pond or lake (24%), bar (22%), snooker table (21%), home gym (17%) and cinema (12%) also proving popular.

Exactly four fifths (80%) own a holiday home, with the USA (37%) proving the favourite destination for National Lottery millionaires.

Over half (59%) of winners say their new home is their favourite purchase with their cash, with 7% reckoning their holiday home tops the list.

Swanky new cars have also proved popular with winners, with almost seven in 10 (69%) professing to starting to browse within a month of winning - and 2% saying they were looking within the same hour of their win!

Andy Carter, Senior Winners' Advisor at Allwyn, operators of The National Lottery said: "As The National Lottery celebrates 30 momentous years, it's a great chance to celebrate how The National Lottery has changed the lives of the over 7,400 millionaires it has made, not to mention the over £95 Billion it has paid out in prize money to all winners in that time. X

“We all dream of hitting that jackpot, and these winners who have taken home huge prizes over the years have transformed their lives, the lives of their nearest and dearest and, in many cases, the communities around them - that is what The National Lottery and winning is all about."

House shopping is next on people’s list with 62% hunting within a month, with holidays closely behind as 60% seek some post-win relaxation within a month of their lives changing.

A house isn’t a home without a pet though, with 43% saying their win enabled them to get a new or additional companions.

Nearly all (88%) of winners own a dog, with other popular pets including cats (27%), fish (8%) and horses (5%).

But sharing the joy is also a crucial part of winning, with exactly three-quarters (75%) saying they like to share their win with others, a generous 95% giving money away to family and 79% to charity and friends.

And more than one in 10 (12%) of winners have created other millionaires because of their win, 62% of which have been the winner’s children and another 10% being their grandchildren.

Unsurprisingly, 97% say they are as happy or happier than before their win, with the key reasons being the ability to spend more time with their friends and family, financial security for them and their children and more time to spend enjoying hobbies.

Over three-quarters (77%) of winners say that winning has made them a happier person, while 78% believe they are more generous, 76% think they are now less stressed and over half (52%) believe they are healthier.

Winners’ life patterns changing has also been revealed, with 39% ending up handing in their notice at work and 21% retiring earlier than planned.

And over a third (38%) state that their social life has improved since winning The National Lottery, with golf (15%), gardening (11%) and hitting the gym (11%) proving some of the most popular hobbies.

Over one in 10 (14%) insist they always knew they would win, with a further 13% having had a feeling that they would.

And it seems that winning is a habit you want to keep once it has happened, with 97% of winners still playing National Lottery games and 39% convinced they have another win in them.

It’s not all about winning, however, with 68% saying the main reason they buy a ticket is because they like that their play supports Good Causes.

Carter concluded: "Our research has shown that National Lottery winners transform their lives by doing the things that we all dream of.

“Who knows, tonight's estimated £140m EuroMillions jackpot may give another UK National Lottery player the chance to live out all their dreams too."

All major winners are offered support and advice for as long as they wish from Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery. The support given is tailored to each winner’s circumstances and needs, and includes independent financial advisors, private banks, financial panels and more. Winning on The National Lottery allows for lives to change, including for those closest to the winners.