A Welsh mother of five who won £1 million on the lottery says the windfall hasn’t changed her thrifty habits. Ceri Roberts and her husband Paul struck gold in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw in November 2023, and used their winnings to buy their dream home in Llanberis, Gwynedd, which Ceri now runs as a guest house. Despite the life-changing amount, she still hunts for bargains and shops around for the best prices. “I still don’t go shopping to one place if I know it’s cheaper somewhere else,” she said. “I don’t think that will ever change.”
Recalling the emotional moment they found out they’d won, Ceri shared that she and Paul were watching one of their children play football when they called the claims line. “Nobody had scored a goal, but our car was shaking,” she said. “The kids were in the back wailing, and me and my husband were crying in the front.”
After the win, it took her six weeks to make her first big purchase — a car of her own, as she’d previously been borrowing one. The lottery prize also allowed her to quit her job managing a domiciliary care company, giving her more time to spend with her family. Since then, they’ve focused on making memories together, taking trips like a family adventure to Marrakesh in February, where they went quad biking in the desert.
But she’s kept Christmas and birthday celebrations low-key for her children, emphasizing the importance of experiences over extravagant gifts. “To be able to give them memories is far more important than buying them big, extravagant gifts,” she said.
Ceri’s win is part of the National Lottery’s significant impact on Wales. Since its launch in 1994, the lottery has created 408 Welsh millionaires and raised £2.3 billion for good causes across the country. One of these beneficiaries is SHIFT Together, a mental health support non-profit in the Rhondda valley. Established by therapist Caroline Shanks, SHIFT Together offers free mental health services, art therapy, and community activities. “It’s been amazing to have the funding,” said Shanks. “Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’re doing.”
The lottery’s new operator, Allwyn, took over in February, promising to double the funds allocated to good causes over the next decade. While the lottery is a form of gambling, a parliamentary report noted it poses fewer risks compared to other gambling forms, with problem gambling rates below 1% for lottery games. Allwyn emphasizes a “player safety first” approach with extensive safeguards and monitoring tools to ensure responsible play.
Ceri’s story highlights how a lottery win can change lives without altering values, showing that sometimes the biggest impact of a windfall is not material wealth, but the opportunity to create lasting memories.
