A National Lottery expert has shared the 180 day rule that Euromillions ticket holders need to know. Winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize – otherwise, they lose the lot, explains lottery expert and blogger known as Lottery Guy.
He says ahead of the November and December draws ahead of Christmas: “You’ve got six months from the draw date to claim – after that, even a jackpot is gone for good. A £63.8 million win went unclaimed in 2012.”
Simon Horne, from Allwyn UK, the National Lottery operator which runs Euromillions in the UK, says: “It does occasionally happen and then any prize money goes towards good causes supported by the National Lottery and Euromillions.”
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Lottery Guy says: “Always check your ticket, and don’t chuck any away without checking them properly.”
Lottery Guy explains: “If your ticket gets ruined, lost or even stolen, you have to tell Allwyn within 30 days of the draw — or you lose your chance, no matter what.”
Simon says: “If you’ve bought the ticket, we want to try and find a way to be able to get you your prize.
“We’d investigate and then if no one else had come forward after 180 days, we have discretion to award you the prize, even without a ticket.”
Lottery Guys says: “Asking a friend or partner to grab your ticket? Be careful — if it wins, there’s nothing to stop them claiming it for themselves.
“Money can do strange things to people.” Rachel Spencer Robb, a partner in family law with Clarion Solicitors, says: “If one person in a marriage buys a winning ticket, the money is technically theirs.
“But if they later split up, the winnings should go into the pot of assets to be shared.” Rachel says: “It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been together, there’s no such thing as a common law husband or wife.
“One way around this is to sign a Living Together Agreement when you are still a couple, which lays out who gets what in the event of a split.”
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