Casino
Scratchcards
PlayA syndicate is a group of people who enter the lottery together. Syndicate members share the cost of lottery tickets and receive proportionate shares of any winnings. For example, a syndicate of 10 people might buy 10 tickets for a EuroMillions draw. Each person would pay one-tenth of the total ticket cost. If one of those tickets matches five main numbers and two Lucky Stars, the resulting jackpot prize is shared equally between the 10 syndicate members.
This syndicate calculator is a handy tool for visualising the benefits of joining a syndicate. But are syndicates a good way to play?
Boost Your Chances With a Syndicate
The short answer is yes. Principally, a syndicate is a simple agreement between your group to pool EuroMillions entries and share any resulting winnings. This can be a good way to play, as it can significantly improve your chances of winning without you having to pay more to play.
Also, since there is no “official” way to run a syndicate, you and your group can decide how you want to play, such as how many tickets you will buy, who will buy them, and what happens when you win. Since you’re most likely to join a syndicate with family members, work colleagues or friends, it can also be a fun way to play.
However you decide to play, though, you should get your rules down in writing in the form of a syndicate agreement.
EuroMillions Syndicate Agreement
A syndicate agreement is a document that allocates responsibility to a syndicate manager, and lays down some ground rules for the way in which the syndicate will be conducted. These rules might include how many draws you enter per month, how many tickets you purchase per month, how lines are chosen, and how prize money is divided. A syndicate agreement should be signed and witnessed by every syndicate member; the signing of a form such as this could legally protect you or any members of your syndicate in case of disagreement.
Having a comprehensive agreement in place is key to preserving the safety of your syndicate; while examples of syndicates going wrong are rare, one such high-profile example illustrates the importance of a syndicate agreement perfectly. In 2013, recruitment company worker Louisa Whitby missed out on a one-eleventh share of nearly £29 million due to sick leave. Her workplace syndicate purchased a winning ticket for the 9th July EuroMillions draw on the day she was absent from work. The syndicate claimed she wasn’t eligible to claim any winnings, since she hadn’t paid in for a share; she eventually hired a solicitor in an effort to claim a portion of the winnings.
A syndicate agreement that stipulated exactly what happens in the event of a member being ill or unavailable on a given day would have prevented these regrettable events from ever taking place - making this story a good cautionary tale for anyone forming a new syndicate.
Syndicate agreements are simple to draft, and can be drawn up from scratch - they are simply a formalisation of your syndicate’s structure, and the way you’d like it to run. If you’re looking for inspiration, our example syndicate agreement could provide you with some ideas.
Online Syndicates
Playing with friends or family is not the only way to enjoy the benefits of a EuroMillions syndicate. Joining an online syndicate is also an option, which takes away much of the work required when starting one yourself.
An online lottery provider acts as a middle-man for your syndicate, matching you with other people and managing distribution of winnings. Entries are also managed by the provider, meaning there’s no chance of an entry getting lost or misplaced. Your details are kept safe and secure, and any winnings are automatically paid straight to your online account. You can also set up a subscription, so you’ll never miss a draw.