Lottery Winnings Not Paid Out To Uk Expats

[TEFLMike]

Any UK person, indeed, around the World, including Europe, are breaking the law purchasing UK Lottery Tickets online. Although the Camelot Website goes worldwide, it is not meant to be played by anyone residing abroad.

This latest information has been released today.

It does state, within the rules on their website, that it is not allowed, however, this information, apparently needs to be more visible.

LINK >>>>

http://news.aol.co.uk/clarity-call-on-lott...052549264418551

Source: AOL UK.

[ukrules]

They introduced this last year, I noticed it while buying a couple of lottery tickets online from Bangkok.

Here's the controversial part : They know when you are abroad so why do they allow you to purchase the tickets in the first place only to refuse to pay out when you win ? Programming this into the website would be trivial.

I suggest that anyone who has purchased any losing lottery tickets in the past seven or eight months should contact them and demand a refund as they were not valid.

[Moonrakers]

dam_n.

And I was planning on winning it next week.

[monkfish]

Even Camelot is corrupt?

I wonder what would happen if you bought online from Thailand,won and then went back to the UK to claim.

Edit: Can buy over a proxy server?

Countries such as the US and Spain have local laws barring people including British tourists from taking part in foreign lottery draws while they are in the country.

What about Thailand? is against the law here?

[chiang mai]

This subject has been discussed several times here but it continues to interest me. If a person plays the lottery online from say Thailand and wins a substantial prize, the winner has six months to claim the prize - prizes of less than 5k are paid automatically. I reckon that if I won a substantial amount I would simply return to the UK, get established once again (name on the electoral role, change the name on my UK drivers license, get a few utility bills in my name etc etc) and wait until close to the time limit before claiming the prize. It's hard to imagine that Camelot would turn round and say, aha, the IP address you used to make that winning play six months ago was xxxxx and therefore we can't pay you, no? I suppose they could ask to see my passport if they suspected I was an expat but I suppose I could easily have lost that also! That would leave the matter of residency down to the UK governments computer records, hmm, might just not get paid in that case.

[syd barrett]

This subject has been discussed several times here but it continues to interest me. If a person plays the lottery online from say Thailand and wins a substantial prize, the winner has six months to claim the prize - prizes of less than 5k are paid automatically. I reckon that if I won a substantial amount I would simply return to the UK, get established once again (name on the electoral role, change the name on my UK drivers license, get a few utility bills in my name etc etc) and wait until close to the time limit before claiming the prize. It's hard to imagine that Camelot would turn round and say, aha, the IP address you used to make that winning play six months ago was xxxxx and therefore we can't pay you, no? I suppose they could ask to see my passport if they suspected I was an expat but I suppose I could easily have lost that also! That would leave the matter of residency down to the UK governments computer records, hmm, might just not get paid in that case.

I think the problem is that they DO know where in the world you were when you played the online lottery. Then they might ask you to prove you were not overseas.

What about this? You can buy lottery tickets upto 8 weeks in advance in the U.K. then go abroad, is that O.K. ?

[chiang mai]

This subject has been discussed several times here but it continues to interest me. If a person plays the lottery online from say Thailand and wins a substantial prize, the winner has six months to claim the prize - prizes of less than 5k are paid automatically. I reckon that if I won a substantial amount I would simply return to the UK, get established once again (name on the electoral role, change the name on my UK drivers license, get a few utility bills in my name etc etc) and wait until close to the time limit before claiming the prize. It's hard to imagine that Camelot would turn round and say, aha, the IP address you used to make that winning play six months ago was xxxxx and therefore we can't pay you, no? I suppose they could ask to see my passport if they suspected I was an expat but I suppose I could easily have lost that also! That would leave the matter of residency down to the UK governments computer records, hmm, might just not get paid in that case.

I think the problem is that they DO know where in the world you were when you played the online lottery. Then they might ask you to prove you were not overseas.

What about this? You can buy lottery tickets upto 8 weeks in advance in the U.K. then go abroad, is that O.K. ?

Well yes, it works for me - but does Camelot require all winners to prove they were not overseas at the time of the winning play, and, potentially, up to eight weeks prior? Hmmmm!

[sunholidaysun1]

Buying the winning ticket doesnt make you the winner. The winner is the one who's name is on the back of the ticket. So could you not just put someone elses name , eg , your brother or someone who is resident in the UK ? You bought the ticket online for him as a gift ? I think if they refused to pay out then I would take them to court . If the website allows you to buy then unless its writen in black and white and visible to warn you when buyiong then I dont think they have much option other than to pay , in my opinion !

[monkfish]

Buying the winning ticket doesnt make you the winner. The winner is the one who's name is on the back of the ticket. So could you not just put someone elses name , eg , your brother or someone who is resident in the UK ? You bought the ticket online for him as a gift ? I think if they refused to pay out then I would take them to court . If the website allows you to buy then unless its writen in black and white and visible to warn you when buyiong then I dont think they have much option other than to pay , in my opinion !

You don't get a ticket when you buy online.

Question is, is it Illegal in Thailand? See thelink

If not Illegal then you should be OK!!

Edit: the link doesn't say all oversees purchases are invalid

[chiang mai]

I've played online from Thailand for the past seven years and have occasionally won prizes up to sixty five pounds and these have always been credited to my online account without problems. If I won say half a million and refused to pay it I would contest that the precedent had already been set - you can play and win up to five thousand but you cannot play and win more than that, I don't think so.

[Chaimai]

If you are playing fixed numbers each week get someone in the UK to "subscribe" online for you i.e. arrange to pay by monthly direct debit from a UK bank account.

[aussiebebe]

Good ethical and moral points are raised on this thread. If British expats can't win then UK lottery companies shouldn't accept their payments. Demanding refunds is an excellent idea.

The onus is clearly on the individual to be honest about where they live, if they rules are clear about this. There are probably lots of other ways that you can't win even if you play, other than by living abroad.

Lots of companies act in a similarly dishonest way - customers don't read the small print or the rules and inadvertently disqualify themselves from recieving what they expected to get from all sorts of things like bank loans, insurance policies (especially) and product warranties.

[jackr]

Buying the winning ticket doesnt make you the winner. The winner is the one who's name is on the back of the ticket. So could you not just put someone elses name , eg , your brother or someone who is resident in the UK ? You bought the ticket online for him as a gift ?

You'd then have to pay tax on it (30-40% ?) when he gifts it to you. It is the way to do it though if you trust someone, then just go home and drive up to Camelot yourself with the ticket for the cheque.

[IanForbes]

Buying lottery tickets is a tax on the poor... and the stupid.

If you like to give a donation to charity then pick a different charity than any lottery system.

[chiang mai]

Buying lottery tickets is a tax on the poor... and the stupid.

If you like to give a donation to charity then pick a different charity than any lottery system.

Why? It's fun, I enjoy it and I can afford it.

[chiang mai]

Buying lottery tickets is a tax on the poor... and the stupid.

If you like to give a donation to charity then pick a different charity than any lottery system.

BTW, do you know who you are quoting?

[Heng]

Any UK person, indeed, around the World, including Europe, are breaking the law purchasing UK Lottery Tickets online.

They are also showing a lack of basic understanding of statistics and probability.

[goonerthegooner]

The wording says if you play the lottery online whilist on holiday,from a country that gambleing is illegal,then no payout.

So with that in mind,here in Thailand we have the State lottery twice a month,so is it really illegal here??,and if you were too win a big prize in the UK lottery you could go too court stating that Thailand has it's own Lottery,so it cannot be illegal.