UK National Lottery: UK Lottery computer glitch eliminated the number '9'
Thousands of United Kingdom Lottery players have been given free draw entries to make up for technical problems with computer-generated ticket numbers.
A database glitch hit entries for the new Dream Number game last month, operator Camelot said yesterday.
Some entries bought online or by text in the four days to July 17 did not contain the digit nine.
They were still entered for draws on either July 15 or July 19 — both of which contained the digit nine somewhere in the seven winning numbers.
A Camelot spokesman said all entries had still been valid, with some of the players winning prizes.
It is impossible to say how many people were affected by the glitch, he added.
The Dream Number game was launched last month to raise extra funds for the 2012 Olympics.
Players win £2 for matching the first number picked in the draw, rising to £10 for the first two numbers and up to £500,000 for matching all seven numbers in the order they are drawn.
The winning numbers on July 15, in the order they were picked, were eight, two, three, zero, eight, three and nine.
Numbers drawn on July 19 were four, nine, six, five, zero, nine and four.
A Camelot spokesman said, "In some cases players' digits may not have included the number nine when they otherwise could have done.
"The issue, the result of a database error, was quickly identified and fixed, and all Dream Number tickets issued over this brief period were valid.
"As a gesture of goodwill we are providing free plays to interactive players who may have been affected."