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Original poster

Small(ish) lottery win - Do I keep it since they didn’t pay?

449 replies

swimmingforCB · 05/05/2023 20:02

We’ve had a family syndicate going for 6 months or so now. Few £10 wins etc but nothing big.

For the past 2 weeks, nobody has bothered paying in. They kept saying they’d do it next week, and then next week came and they said they’d do it that week. But everyone forgot again!

I won on Tuesday. Nothing OTT but a sizeable sum

If I keep it to myself, it’ll change my life. If I share it between the 4 of us, it’ll pay for a fancy holiday and that’s it.

What do I do? 😬

OP posts:
ChristmasJumpers · 06/05/2023 03:24

I do think you should keep it as they never gave you the money so they have not paid towards the winning ticket. A thought that crossed my mind though is would you have bought the same amount of tickets if you didn't usually do a syndicate? Did you realistically buy the tickets with the syndicate in mind and would you have expected people to pay you back eventually if you hadn't won?

I am very jealous OP, I never play the lottery so can't complain, but I could do so much with just short of £20k right now!!! Well done 😊

savethatkitty · 06/05/2023 03:50

Keep it. They didn't pay up, so too bad, so sad. Let it be a (harsh) lesson to those who didn't pay up.

Original poster
swimmingforCB · 06/05/2023 03:59

JagerbombsUnite · 05/05/2023 22:16

Also OP hasn't said whether people paid up in arrears. They 'forgot', but did they pay up?

Show quote history

No, they never paid

OP posts:
lifekeepsgoing · 06/05/2023 04:03

Daily Mail journo is already gleefully typing this one up into a story, their readers love this kind of moral conundrum....
Honestly if it is 20-50K I would not be worrying, as it is a modest amount, just stick it in the bank and slowly use it for things you need. If they had not paid in, it is yours I think. A million is harder to hide but under 100k it quickly can be used up without people noticing, college funds etc...

Goodread1 · 06/05/2023 04:17

It's Tricky one is it..Arkward..really

In Theory I think they are your winning numbers, no ones else, so therefore your takings, but..mm..

But I would put this down to, to two things how well do you like them and what do you think they or anyone of them would do in your situation Op@swimmingforCB,

I do think act with caution whatever you do...don't let the winnings go to your head, as in don't get carried away and blow it , well a lot of it all once or something( as in spend it a hell of a lot of it type of thing,or make rash decisions,
despite how tempting it is..

Like it's potential life changing....

Complexneedsmum · 06/05/2023 04:26

Keep it, they didn’t buy the ticket. Don’t tell anyone

useitorlose · 06/05/2023 04:26

Keep it - but be prepared for the truth to come out at some point.

k1233 · 06/05/2023 04:40

Well, if no one gave you any money, why would they expect you to buy them a ticket? You bought it with your own money, so the winnings are yours. If you lost they wouldn't have reimbursed you the cost of the ticket.

McGoadyFromFuckingGoadyville · 06/05/2023 05:02

Fuck that. You organise it and pay for it. It's yours.

Busybutbored · 06/05/2023 05:08

k1233 · 06/05/2023 04:40

Well, if no one gave you any money, why would they expect you to buy them a ticket? You bought it with your own money, so the winnings are yours. If you lost they wouldn't have reimbursed you the cost of the ticket.

Well that's the question OP hasn't actually answered. Either she got the ticket anyway, or she got it because of the syndicate

snitzelvoncrumb · 06/05/2023 05:13

You could just say you didn’t buy the ticket as no one gave you the money. I would wait a while to book the holiday.

Nanaof1 · 06/05/2023 05:14

Hairyfairy01 · 06/05/2023 00:32

Did only you pay (or play) that week? If so keep 100% of the money. If you and SIL paid (played) that week the winnings should be spilt 50:50. If you, SIL and MIL all paid (played) that week then the money gets spilt 3 ways (presuming equal amounts of money spent on tickets). It sounds though like only you paid (played) that week. In which case the money is 100% yours. I'm sure the others will be kicking themselves but that's life x

Yep, this. I would be kicking myself but if I didn't pay for a ticket for that week, then I don't deserve to win for that week.

No sure why some are saying they should share it. It was only a few months along and already people had skipped weeks before this last skip time. If they share, what's to keep the people from paying other times and expecting to share if that week it's a winner. It's like going to the lottery office and telling them that you always pick those winning numbers but forgot last week but give me the money anyway.

Poopgal · 06/05/2023 05:21

You paid, you won. The money is yours. Even if they raise it, that’s exactly what you say to them. If I were you I’d find a way to give a small portion to those who need it but just remember that no good deed goes unpunished. I can imagine a scenario where you give SIL an amount and she demands her fair share. Which would be very CF of her but possible

KitKatLove · 06/05/2023 06:00

swimmingforCB · 06/05/2023 03:59

No, they never paid

Show quote history

Hypothetical question for you. What do you do if one of the other syndicate members comes round to see you or puts an envelope through your letterbox with their back payment in over the weekend?

Redebs · 06/05/2023 06:03

swimmingforCB · 05/05/2023 20:02

We’ve had a family syndicate going for 6 months or so now. Few £10 wins etc but nothing big.

For the past 2 weeks, nobody has bothered paying in. They kept saying they’d do it next week, and then next week came and they said they’d do it that week. But everyone forgot again!

I won on Tuesday. Nothing OTT but a sizeable sum

If I keep it to myself, it’ll change my life. If I share it between the 4 of us, it’ll pay for a fancy holiday and that’s it.

What do I do? 😬

If they haven't paid for two consecutive weeks, then I think it's reasonable to count them out.
If someone is one week late, then I think you need to declare and share.
When did you last receive anything from anyone?

ittakes2 · 06/05/2023 06:10

A problem you have is what are you going to do going forward - if one of them unknowing now says sorry I need to catch up on my lottery and gives you the back dated amount…are you going to take it? How do you explain not taking it.
and if you say nothing what if in two months time someone says what happened to our lottery syndicate - what are you going to say then? I stopped it because no one was paying? You’d have to stop it now

Saltovinegar · 06/05/2023 06:26

You didn't buy the tickets as a syndicate because you alone paid for the tickets. The money is yours, keep it.

I run the works syndicate and make it clear that if you've not handed me the money up front then you win nothing.

If everything was done retrospectively then anyone winning the lottery could end up with a penny because the world and his wife could say I was going to buy a ticket with you!

JustAnotherUsey · 06/05/2023 06:28

Did you buy the same number of tickets as if they had paid? Or only your shares worth?

But either way, it was just your money.... So your win!

Even more so just yours if you didn't get tickets for their share

I wouldn't tell them. Doesn't sound like enough to be obviously noticed really.

Monkeynuts57 · 06/05/2023 06:30

Only the ones paying for that week should get a share that’s not fair to claim a win if they haven’t been paying each week

TwoPointFourCatsAndDogs · 06/05/2023 06:40

I think I’d wait and see if they pay you this week and next week, and if they pay the arrears.

ChristmasFluff · 06/05/2023 06:43

If it was a work syndicate, fair enough. But it's not - it's family.

The depth of love you have for your family is showing here - no judgment, cos you may have good reason to not give a shit about them. But if you've been telling yourself a fiction that you love them then this is your wake up call that you don't.

mainsfed · 06/05/2023 06:50

You’d be mad to give them a penny.

They could have just set up a standing order to pay you every week but they didn’t.

Their loss, your win.

mainsfed · 06/05/2023 06:50

ChristmasFluff · 06/05/2023 06:43

If it was a work syndicate, fair enough. But it's not - it's family.

The depth of love you have for your family is showing here - no judgment, cos you may have good reason to not give a shit about them. But if you've been telling yourself a fiction that you love them then this is your wake up call that you don't.

What a load of crap.

Fam23 · 06/05/2023 06:50

AnythingToSay · 05/05/2023 20:10

Oh no. Wasn't this the plot of The Syndicate? I don't think it ended well 😬

I bloody loved the syndicate!

OP technically your syndicate didn’t play that week and so therefore it was your ticket that you should claim and keep the winnings on! Enjoy!

Mycatisalwaysangry · 06/05/2023 06:57

If you hadn’t paid you would have missed the win altogether. Don’t see why you should split with people who have not
paid.
tell your sister that you saved more than expected so can gift her 1k or 2 to do somethung nice with the kids and use the rest wisely for you and your family. This isn’t going to happen again, to you or to them!