Monday evenings in the UK often carry an air of anticipation, but for lottery enthusiasts, Monday, December 29, 2025, was especially charged. The National Lottery’s Set For Life draw, a fixture on both Mondays and Thursdays at 8pm, once again dangled the prospect of a life-changing prize: £10,000 every month for 30 years. That’s a staggering total of £3.6 million—enough to spark dreams of financial freedom, globe-trotting adventures, and perhaps a little generosity for family, friends, or favorite causes.
According to The Sun, the latest Set For Life numbers were 8, 13, 15, 25, 39, with the all-important Life Ball being 6. Players across the UK checked their tickets with bated breath, each line representing a £1.50 investment and a shot—however slim—at that elusive top prize. But as ChronicleLive and The Independent both reported, luck proved elusive this time; no one managed to match all five numbers plus the Life Ball, leaving the jackpot unclaimed for another round.
The Set For Life game, launched to much fanfare, offers a unique twist on traditional lottery formats. Rather than a single lump sum, winners receive a steady stream of income: £10,000 every month for three decades. The second-best prize isn’t too shabby either—£10,000 a month for a year, totaling £120,000. To win that, a player must match all five main numbers but miss out on the Life Ball. As for the odds? They’re not exactly in anyone’s favor: the chance of hitting the jackpot is about one in 15.3 million, while the second prize comes in at one in 1.7 million. Overall, the odds of winning any prize in Set For Life are one in 12.4, according to ChronicleLive.
For those who came close, consolation prizes await. Matching four numbers plus the Life Ball nets £250, while four numbers alone yield £50. Three numbers and the Life Ball score you £30, three numbers on their own mean £20, and two numbers plus the Life Ball give £10. The smallest prize—£5—is for matching just two main numbers. On December 29, 26 players matched four numbers and the Life Ball, each pocketing £250, as reported by The Sun and Mirror.
Set For Life’s appeal lies not just in the size of its prizes, but in their structure. A steady monthly payout offers winners the rare chance to plan for the long term, rather than facing the daunting prospect of managing a massive windfall all at once. For many, it’s a promise of security and opportunity—a way to tick off bucket-list dreams, start a business, or simply enjoy peace of mind.
As Mirror noted in their live coverage, “Players of tonight’s Set For Life draw could be one ticket away from winning an incredible £10,000 every month for 30 years.” It’s a tantalizing prospect, and the excitement is palpable in the hours leading up to the draw. The game’s mechanics are straightforward: pick five numbers from 1 to 47 and one Life Ball from 1 to 10, or use the Lucky Dip option to let fate decide. Each play costs £1.50, and the draw is broadcast live at 8pm, with results quickly posted online and through the National Lottery app.
While no one claimed the jackpot this time, the Set For Life draw is just one chapter in the long and colorful history of the UK’s National Lottery. The very first draw took place on November 19, 1994, with seven winners sharing a jackpot of £5,874,778, as The Sun recalls. The largest single-ticket win in UK history was £42 million in 1996, and more recently, Gareth Bull, a builder from Nottinghamshire, won £41 million in November 2020, using his windfall to build a luxury manor house complete with a swimming pool.
Stories of unexpected windfalls abound. Sue Davies, 64, won £500,000 after buying a ticket to celebrate the end of five months of shielding during the pandemic. Sandra Devine, 36, accidentally won £300,000 after intending to buy her usual £100 scratchcard but instead purchased a ticket that changed her life. And then there’s Karl, who at just 23 years old in 1996, bagged £11 million. These tales, as reported by The Sun, fuel the dreams of millions who play week after week, hoping lightning might strike for them.
Of course, the odds remain daunting. The chance of winning the Set For Life jackpot is one in 15.3 million, a figure that puts things in perspective. Yet, as the saying goes, “You’ve got to be in it to win it.” For many, the small outlay is worth the hope and the anticipation that comes with each draw.
The National Lottery isn’t just about individual fortune, though. As The Sun points out, playing the lottery helps raise around £30 million each week for good causes across the UK. From community projects to sports initiatives and heritage sites, the lottery’s impact stretches far beyond the winners’ circle. It’s a point of pride for many players, knowing that their participation, win or lose, contributes to something bigger.
Lottery fever isn’t confined to Set For Life. Other games, like EuroMillions and Lotto, continue to offer eye-watering jackpots. The upcoming EuroMillions draw, for example, boasts a £14 million prize, while the Lotto’s next jackpot stands at £5.3 million after a recent rollover. These games have their own legends—like the Welsh couple, Richard Davies and Faye Stevenson-Davies, who beat odds of 24 trillion to one to win a second £1 million prize in November 2025, as Mirror detailed. Their story is a testament to the unpredictable magic of the lottery: “We always believed winning was possible, and once we scooped £1 million and met hundreds of other lucky winners, we realised fairytales do come true and there are winners everywhere!” Faye said.
For now, the Set For Life jackpot rolls over, the anticipation building once more for the next draw. The allure remains the same—dreams of financial security, adventure, and the freedom to live life on one’s own terms. As the numbers are drawn and the results posted, one thing is certain: for millions across the UK, hope springs eternal every Monday and Thursday night.
With each ticket purchased, the dream lives on—one in 15.3 million, but still alive.
