So what is the reason for the xenophobic rules?

Anyone?

Surely this is a tax issue? UK residents subject to HMRC rulings, folk in Nigeria wont have the same exemtions?

Or maybe it's just part of the lottery laws that it is not designed for the money to flow out of the country?

So what is the reason for the xenophobic rules?

Anyone?

Surely this is a tax issue? UK residents subject to HMRC rulings, folk in Nigeria wont have the same exemtions?

Or maybe it's just part of the lottery laws that it is not designed for the money to flow out of the country?

you dont pay any tax on winnings. and I believe the first big uk lottery winner was from India. or at least one of the first big winners. After his win, around 20million pounds he went back home, to live in India..

Interesting thread, I know a couple of engineers who are working here on a 3 months on 2 weeks off rotation and on their trips back to the UK they buy UK lottery tickets for some of the Thai engineers.

The other day I pointed out to them that you have to be a UK resident to claim the prize, which is no problem for them.

Then I posed the question "what would they do if one of the tickets with the Thai selected numbers came up" and the reaction was comical as they both admitted in the end that they would more than likely just keep the winnings.

Thats my retirement plan scuppered then, was counting on it too...

So what is the reason for the xenophobic rules?

Anyone?

Surely this is a tax issue? UK residents subject to HMRC rulings, folk in Nigeria wont have the same exemtions?

Or maybe it's just part of the lottery laws that it is not designed for the money to flow out of the country?

you dont pay any tax on winnings. and I believe the first big uk lottery winner was from India. or at least one of the first big winners. After his win, around 20million pounds he went back home, to live in India..

That's my point - winnings are tax free, but only to uk residents. Perhaps the money going overseas creates tax issues with other countries so its just not permissable.

The indian guy was uk resident at the time, and where he went afterwards is up to him.

What's the score with Euromillions?

Euromillions can be played anywhere in Europe

The new (Dec 2010) rules seem to be quite clear that you must be a UK or Isle of Man resident to play online. Even if you set up an account and DD whilst in the UK, you need to be resident in the UK for the whole time of your DD. They can refuse to pay a prize, if they find out you were resident overseas and just visiting the UK when you set it up. If you win jackpot, it is worth their while to do a little extra checking to avoid paying.

My question is whether it is still OK for overseas residents to claim prizes they won on physical tickets they bought from retailers while visiting the UK? Since UK residents on holiday in Spain are supposed to buy the Spanish lottery and not the UK lottery, it follows that overseas residents residents are permitted to buy the UK lottery while in the UK and receive prizes. However, there is nothing on the National Lottery's website about purchase of physical tickets. On trying to check results from a ticket purchased in the UK on the website a window popped up to say that it was detected I was overseas and that any prize I won would be invalidated. The FAQ says something that suggests they keep a record of wins that were checked from overseas in this way, so they can avoid payment.

Euromillions can be played anywhere in Europe

True, but you have to claim the prize in the country where you bought the ticket. At least that's what I was told when I tried to claim £7 in the UK won on a ticket bought in Paris.

If you win jackpot, it is worth their while to do a little extra checking to avoid paying..........The FAQ says something that suggests they keep a record of wins that were checked from overseas in this way, so they can avoid payment.

Camelot don't keep any unclaimed or unpaid prizes; the money goes into the fund distributed to the lottery beneficiaries, charities etc.

I suspect that this rule has more to do with the law than any desire of Camelot's to avoid paying out to winners.