A British couple who briefly believed they had won a life-changing $46 million lottery jackpot were left heartbroken after discovering they couldn’t claim a penny.

Just days before Christmas in 2015, Edwina and David Nylan from Fleetwood, Lancashire, selected their usual numbers through the Lottomobile app. When the winning numbers were announced, every one of their picks matched. For a few unforgettable moments, they were certain their lives had changed forever.

The jackpot that night was more than £35 million — an amount that would transform any family. But their excitement quickly turned into confusion. When they logged into their National Lottery account, there was no sign of a winning ticket. In fact, there was no record of any ticket at all.

After frantically checking emails, transaction records, and the app itself, they contacted Camelot for answers. That’s when the devastating truth emerged: although they had attempted to buy a ticket, the purchase never went through. Their account held just 60p at the time, and the system showed several failed top-up attempts shortly before the cutoff.

Edwina described the moment as crushing but tried to stay positive. She and David chose to focus on their family, reminding themselves that gratitude matters more than luck. They still play the lottery, though they’ll never forget how a missed confirmation email cost them millions.

Their experience is a powerful reminder to double-check online lottery purchases — especially during busy moments when it’s easy to overlook the small details.