Can you buy lottery tickets with a credit card?

[ANellRetentive]

Not asking for me, a guy at work wants to use his credit card to buy some Euro Millions tickets at a shop - I don't think you can using a CC. We've both tried Googling but it only gives me info for buying online and buying in America!

Does anyone know for sure?

Why wouldn’t you be able to?

I'm pretty sure that Tesco refused to sell lottery tickets on a credit card but I don't remember the reason they gave me. Was a few years ago though.

Some small shops won't let you because the percentage credit card charge for the transaction swallow their entire profit for selling the ticket. Bigger retailers don't care.

Technically though, anything bought on a credit card belongs to the card issuer in between the time of purchase and the time they next issue a bill. Whilst I'm almost sure they would never try this, if the winning ticket of the massive £144m euro millions win a couple of weeks ago had been bought on credit card, it might be worth the credit card company asserting their right to their property.

When I worked in retail I seem to remember Camelot (the company that runs the Lottery) said there was no official rule but they would rather retailers wouldn't. The theory would be until you have paid your credit card bill you don't own the ticket. With debit cards you can spend using an overdraft so again until you have paid the bank back if you are overdrawn you don't own the ticket.

fingerlickinggod it's gambling innit