UK Cobb family’s sensational lottery syndicate win

Lea Hogg July 29, 2024

A UK family has won £1 million in a lottery syndicate after 30 years of persistence. The Cobb family, consisting of Audrey Cobb and her three children, finally struck gold by matching five main numbers and the bonus ball.

In the UK, lottery syndicates have become a popular way to play the lottery. These groups pool their money together to buy multiple tickets, significantly increasing their chances of winning. In fact, 1 in 5 of top game prizes across Lotto, EuroMillions, and EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker are won by syndicates.

Power of persistence

In 1994 the Cobb family formed a lottery syndicate. Audrey Cobb, 87, and her three children, David Cobb, 67, Carol Nobbs, 55, and Sandra Digby, 66, began their weekly pursuit of the jackpot. Fast forward 30 years, their persistence finally paid off. A few weeks ago, they matched five main numbers and the bonus ball, winning £1 million. Each of the four members banked £250,000, turning David, the syndicate leader, into the “favourite big brother”.

The data below records some major lottery syndicate wins in the UK over the past year, highlight the potential of team participation

On the morning after the draw, David’s wife Linda, checked the National Lottery app and saw a message alerting her to the family’s win. Once the Cobbs got over their initial excitement, he couple set off on a 10-mile bike ride to pass the time before they could legally claim their win. David visited his mother to share the good news. He had planned to tell his mother and sisters simultaneously, but his mother immediately asked, “have we won the lottery?, a questions she had asked many times over the last 30 years, more out of habit rather than expecting a massive win.

David’s plan was slightly scuppered, but the joy was no less. His mother Carol burst into tears upon hearing the news, knowing her housing woes were over. She has since found a new home, while her daughter Sandra plans to upgrade her much-used VW Polo to a new car. David and his mother are still deciding on their plans for their share but ensuring the whole family benefits is their priority.

David said, “I’ve always been the one to say we will win, I’ve never been in any doubt, so from that Christmas catch-up where we jokingly set up the syndicate a few months after the first Lotto draw in November 1994, I’ve been waiting for this moment.” The Cobb family’s story is one of the power of persistence and the joy of shared success. Their winning Lotto ticket for the draw on 22 June was bought online, using the National Lottery app, and the winning numbers were 5, 9, 18, 32, 44, and 58.

The syndicate ticket matched five numbers and the number 34 Bonus Ball.