Why 2016 Was An Astonishing Record Breaking Year For UK Lottery Winners

David and Carol Martin shared Lotto's highest jackpot of £66 million on January 9 with an anonymous winner.

Two years ago in 2015, lottery organization Camelot Group added more ball numbers to their National Lotto game. And the country went crazy.

There were threats from players who said they would never play again. Others denounced the game and it seemed the organization was going to crash.

They were proved wrong. The number of millionaires winning £1 million or more broke all records in 2016.

Mother-of-four Tammie Pickett, 37, scooped the £1 million top prize with Monopoly Millionaire 2016 scratchcards. PHOTO: AP.

The number went from 341 millionaires in 2015, to 347 this year.

It happened even as the ball numbers went from 49 to 59 and the chance of winning the jackpot worsened from one in 14 million to a whopping one in 45 million.

The lottery explained that players had more chances to become a millionaire with a new Millionaire Raffle which guarantees a £1 million win in every draw.

The record month this year was September, when 53 players across all National Lottery games, including GameStore online games and scratchcards, became millionaires.

John Bowman is pictured with daughter Emma after he scooped more than £10m in April. PHOTO: PA

Drivers were the luckiest profession this year, with cabbies and lorry drivers winning more £1 million-plus prizes, beating the traditionally luckiest building profession into second place.

Lotto's highest jackpot of £66 million on January 9 was shared by two ticket-holders, David and Carol Martin, from the Scottish Borders, and another who opted to remain anonymous.