1. What is a lottery syndicate?

A syndicate is a group of lottery players who join together to buy tickets. A number of entries are purchased by the syndicate and the costs are shared between the group members. The winnings are also split but group play boosts the chances of winning a prize and there are many ways to join a syndicate, whether by teaming up with others online or creating your own syndicate.

2. Do we need a syndicate agreement?

Before setting up your own lottery group, it is a good idea to have a syndicate agreement. Even if you are playing with friends, family or work colleagues and would not expect any problems, a formal document helps to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Find out what points could be included in a syndicate agreement, and appoint someone trustworthy to manage the group.

Another reason to create a syndicate agreement is prevent possible tax implications that could arise if the syndicate wins a large prize. Current National Lottery rules state that a prize can only be paid out to one person, the syndicate manager, and if there is no formal agreement in place, the other members of the syndicate could be liable for tax on their share of the money.

3. What responsibilities does a syndicate manager have?

As well as keeping the syndicate agreement up to date, the manager has a responsibility to ensure that each player has paid for tickets. Having purchased the entries, the manager will be in charge of checking for any prize, which can be done automatically if playing online. Finally, the syndicate manager will collect the winnings and pay them out between group members. You can avoid all of this tedious work by joining an online syndicate, where the process of purchasing tickets and distributing shares of any prizes is managed automatically.

4. Are there a maximum number of people or tickets allowed in a syndicate?

If you are looking to create your own syndicate then you can include as many players as you want and buy as many tickets as you want. The greater the number of tickets, the better your chances of winning a prize, although if you have a particularly large amount of people the winnings will be smaller and the syndicate may be harder to manage.

5. How do we buy tickets?

Tickets can be bought from authorised retailers or online from anywhere in the world. It's that easy!

6. How are prizes paid to syndicates?

Any money won by a syndicate is paid to the group's manager, as National Lottery rules state that only one player can receive a prize from a winning ticket. The process for claiming prizes is the same as if you were playing on your own, and it is then up to the syndicate manager to distribute the winnings. When you play online, the prizes are automatically paid out to the syndicate members, eliminating the hassle of claiming any prizes in person and then doing the maths to figure out what each syndicate member is owed.

7. Do we need to declare our syndicate?

The syndicate manager will have to register as a player if they are buying tickets online, but for everyone else in the group the most important thing is to sign a syndicate agreement which sets out a formal structure for how you will play, as well as ensuring that winnings are tax-free. You can then decide as a group whether you would opt for publicity in the event of a big win.

8. How do I join an online syndicate?

Joining an online syndicate is convenient and hassle free, all you need to do is decide whether you want to play EuroMillions, Lotto, Thunderball, Lotto HotPicks or a combination of these games, and then consider how many shares you want to buy.

9. How can I be sure the tickets have been purchased?

When you play an online syndicate, you are buying shares in tickets which are purchased on behalf of your group. The tickets are scanned and uploaded to your account to show that they have been bought and prizes are then paid out automatically. This is a far easier process than playing in an offline syndicate, where tickets have to be purchased from retailers by the syndicate manager, who has to collect payments from all members, save copies of the physical tickets and distribute any winnings. Playing online ensures that the process of participating in a syndicate is completely hassle free!

10. How are online syndicate prizes divided?

Prizes are divided between the members of the group, and in an online syndicate your payout is proportional to how many shares you bought. The more shares you buy, the bigger your share of any reward the syndicate might win. For example, if there are 10 shares in a syndicate and the syndicate won £1,000,000, you would get £100,000, however if you bought two shares you would receive £200,000.

11. Are lottery syndicates legal?

Yes! Syndicates are a great way to have fun whilst playing with others and boosting your chances of winning as you share out the costs of purchasing tickets. If you are playing in an offline syndicate, make sure to have a syndicate agreement in place which you are happy with before signing up. If you want to join an online group, the lottery messenger service effectively acts as the syndicate manager and will legally and securely ensure that you receive any winnings owed to you.