Can Lottery Winners Remain Anonymous in the UK?
Winning the lottery would raise many questions, such as “What are the steps to claim my prize?” or “Can lottery winners remain anonymous in the UK?” Did you know that less than 30% of lottery winners remain anonymous in the UK? In this article, we will take a deep dive into some of the queries you might ask if you were ever fortunate enough to win the lottery.
You’ve Won the Lottery!
Imagine yourself sitting on your sofa on a Saturday night watching the national lottery draw and the numbers that drop, match your ticket. You’re now a millionaire! The first emotion to hit would most likely be elation, closely followed by panic. Imagine holding a lotto ticket worth millions in the palm of your hand! The question is, would you tell anyone or would you try too keep it a secret for as long as you can. Continue reading our article, see the pros and cons of telling and learn some fascinating stories.
The Highs and Lows of Winning the Lottery
Winning the lottery, just like hitting a big casino jackpot in an online gambling site, is obviously a life-changing event. One might think it’s a world of cocktails and tropical beaches. However, the reality is, that there can be just as many lows as highs. Imagine all the people that would come out of the woodwork asking you for financial favours. Could you turn down family members whilst you have a ton of money in the bank? Could you handle the pressure of your newly found fame? Sometimes the best option is to keep your lottery win private.
In the UK, lottery winners have the right to remain anonymous. In contrast, that would be impossible in most states in the US, due to their “Right to know” laws. Our story on the Iowa Lottery scam is an intriguing example. If you’re lucky enough to bag a top prize of over £50,000 from the National Lottery, once you go to claim your prize, you’ll be contacted by the Camalots liaison officers to offer you support and advice on how to deal with the changes you’re about to face.
Who Should I Tell I’ve Won the Lottery?
You can scream it to the whole world and be all over the local press, should you wish to do so. We would advise threading very carefully when deciding who to tell you’ve won the lottery. There have been many horror stories over the years in the UK, here are a few of them:
Michael Carroll the King of Chavs
Michael Carroll or self-proclaimed “King of Chavs”, an Englishman who won almost £10 million back in 2002. He claims going public with his win was the worst thing he ever did. He admits spending his winnings on friends, girlfriends and holidays and lost it all. He now works a regular job and lives in a rented flat.
Joe and Jess Thwaite – UK’s Biggest Nation Lottery Winners
Mr and Mrs Thwaite scooped an incredible 184 million earlier this year and went public to share their joy with the world. They would soon regret it. Jess says they often receive threats and “begging letters” through the post. She states “Going public means you’ll never be able to trust anyone again.”
The UK National Lottery Contact Details
If you ever need to contact the UK National Lottery, whether you have won the lottery, or you have concerns, the helpline is there to help you. Please see the below table for further details.
| Contact Number | 0333 234 44 33 |
|---|---|
| help@national-lottery.co.uk | |
| Complaints | complaints@national-lottery.co.uk |
| Address | Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, Registered office: Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts WD18 9RN, Registered in England and Wales No. 2822203 |
Do I Need to Tell My Spouse I’ve Won the Lottery?
The particular question of if you should tell your spouse you have won the lottery is difficult to answer in full as it’s somewhat of a grey area. In general, if you’re married, then your spouse is entitled to half of the household income – including lottery wins. That said, there have been court cases in the UK ruling against sharing a lottery win. From what we can gather it depends if you share assets, such as homes and cars.
Believe it or not, there have been a few court cases when an ex-spouse has won the lottery and the court judged them to split the winnings. Again, it came down to joint assets. In one particular case, the divorcees partly owned a house and had split up over a decade ago.
The ex-wife won a million from the lottery and decided to invest a large amount of it into the house – increasing its value substantially. He argued that she made changes to his partly-owned house without his knowledge and the judge ruled that the ex-husband was entitled to half the profits when it went for sale.
FAQ
Now we’ve taken a look at UK lottery winners’ anonymity, let’s turn to some of the popular questions on the matter. This curious situation needs to be considered from different angles. Everyone thinks lottery winners are very lucky people. However, they sometimes need considerable support to continue living a normal life.
1️⃣ Why would lottery winners want to remain anonymous?
There are many reasons why someone would want to remain anonymous after a lottery win, but we think the main reason would be to stay out of the limelight. Some people do not like the circus that follows lottery winners.
2️⃣ I’ve won the lottery, what do I do?
Celebrate?! On a serious note, if it’s a considerable amount, you would have to contact the organiser, Camelot, if it is the UK national lottery, and they will provide you with all the information you need. Read every piece of information available so that you can avoid any surprises down the line.
3️⃣ Are jackpot lottery winners forced to go public?
You would never be forced to go public if you won a lottery jackpot here in the UK. The reality is quite the opposite. If you’re lucky enough to scoop millions, you’ll be offered advice and support via the organisers' legal representatives. We suggest you take it because it is not a bed of roses out there for lottery winners.
4️⃣ Who should I tell if I’ve won a big sum of money?
That’s completely up to you, however, we would strongly advise that you sleep on it first and don’t go calling everyone you know straight after the good news. Not everyone has your best interests at heart. It is another question if you should tell your spouse. If you are on good terms, then probably the answer is “yes.”
5️⃣ Why do lottery winners go public?
Some people love the attention, you know the type, those nosey neighbours that we all have. They love nothing more than showing off their good fortunes in life. Other people, however, are simply naïve and do not suspect how their life will change after the big jackpot.