ERNIE’s magic reaches far and wide
ERNIE, the machine that generates numbers for the monthly prize draws, and currently in its fifth incarnation, has been extremely busy over the years. The random number generator has picked jackpot winners from every county in England except from the UK’s smallest county, Rutland. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has:
- Completed 774 draws – ERNIE has been extremely busy, with the November 2021 Premium Bonds prize draw being ERNIE’s 774th Premium Bonds prize draw.
- Drawn more than 538 million winning Bond numbers – with just 23,142 prizes in the first draw, ERNIE has had to seriously up his output in subsequent years, with different versions of the machine being developed to keep up with demand. It now takes an average of 13 minutes to complete a draw as opposed to the more than two days it took to complete the first ever draw.
- Paid out more than £22.1 billion in prize money – in 773 draws, ERNIE has been responsible for more than £22.1 billion in prize money being distributed to Premium Bonds winners.
- Created hundreds of millionaires – since the £1 million jackpot prize was introduced in April 1994, ERNIE has made sure that Agent Million has been kept busy travelling the length and breadth of the country, as well as overseas. November’s millionaires will be ERNIE’s 469th and 470th.
The size and scale of Premium Bonds has changed hugely over the last 65 years, with the number of eligible Bonds at a record high. Harold Wilson, Shadow Chancellor at the time of their launch, referred to Premium Bonds as a ‘squalid raffle’. However, the way that they have captured the imaginations of multiple generations shows that they have become a British institution loved not just across the UK, but across the world.
Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “It is a testament to the popularity and enduring appeal of Premium Bonds that they still remain one of the nation’s favourite savings product 65 years after they first went on sale. Premium Bonds are about more than just the £1 million jackpot prizes – each month, there are more than 3.2 million other tax-free prizes paid out bringing joy up and down the country.
“Premium Bonds are an exciting way to save and are more popular than ever with billions of pounds having been paid to millions of people over the years. No matter whether you have £25 or £50,000 invested, Premium Bonds have the ability to surprise and delight each month, while also embracing technology and giving piece of mind that all money invested is 100% secure.”
