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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think going public with a lottery win is bonkers?

167 replies

WhataPlank · 26/02/2024 12:19

Just watched a little YT documentary following the lives of lottery winners and I was blown away by how many people reach out to lottery winners to beg money; not just friends and family, ex-colleagues or even ex-friends, but complete strangers with sob stories (both genuine and fake).

Is there some kind of incentive offered by the lottery people to go public? It's obviously in the organiser's interest as its all publicity, but surely there's nothing in it for the winner but absolute misery?
There must be some kind of bonus for announcing it, because why would you want everyone to know!?

OP posts:
DSD9472 · 26/02/2024 12:22

I 'think' there is a clause that some details will be openly shared, but depends on the particular lottery T&C's. I too think people that broadcast their winnings, go on the news etc are bonkers.

Dotjones · 26/02/2024 12:23

YANBU but I think some people are so arrogant they think winning the lottery makes them a celebrity or just plain better than normal people. Some people crave attention and others see their win as evidence that they are a superior person.

MrsSkylerWhite · 26/02/2024 12:23

Yes, it’s bonkers.

Laiste · 26/02/2024 12:24

Yep - i was just thinking the same thing while reading a thread here by someone who knows someone who went public with it.

Crazy.

Mumoftwo2022 · 26/02/2024 12:25

I think if they go public they get financial advice as to how to invest etc but I’m not sure if that’s 100% true cos if you won that amount of money you could just pay someone to help you. I 100% would not go public I don’t see the positives in it at all

gould · 26/02/2024 12:25

What good can come from going public?

piglet81 · 26/02/2024 12:25

On another thread someone said that the national lottery provide certain kinds of support/advice/ counselling only if you do go public, so I guess that’s the incentive. Obviously you’d have enough money to pay for whatever support you needed, but I guess some lottery winners might not realise they had other options. I agree it would be a terrible idea to advertise a win though!

Seadreamers · 26/02/2024 12:29

Like a pp said, I think if you go with the publicity then you get free financial advice but if you don’t then you get the money and you’re on your own.

I think it’s mad to go public - you’d have more friends than you ever knew you had, begging letters apparently from strangers etc. Just pay for the financial advice etc!

Original poster
WhataPlank · 26/02/2024 12:30

Surely a fast google would throw up a decent financial advisor?

OP posts:
RosePetals86 · 26/02/2024 12:31

Agree OP I can make no sense of it either. I wouldn’t broadcast how much money I have in my bank now and it certainly is nowhere near as a euros jackpot😂

SameSameButDeliverance · 26/02/2024 12:32

The ‘only get support if you go public’ used to be true but it’s not now. They offer support regardless of winners going public (or not).

WhatAMessAgain123 · 26/02/2024 12:33

It is bonkers. You open yourself up to kidnap threats, potential burglaries and all sorts.

MandyRiceDavies · 26/02/2024 12:35

Saw an interview with a lottery spokesman about this a while ago- they said it's not to do with financial advice (which all winners get, not just the ones who go public) but with managing the story.

  • Realistically, most winners are going to be unable to keep the win a secret due to lifestyle changes and people talking.
  • For the really big wins, the tabs actively try to track winners down.
  • Winners therefore have the choice of going public on their own terms or being "outed" as winners by the press.
  • Doing the first allows them more control of the story and to choose how to present themselves.
IncompleteSenten · 26/02/2024 12:35

I think they try to scare people by claiming folks will find out anyway and we won't be able to help you, or tell them that they need specialist services that are only available if they go public or some bollocks about being able to control the situation etc

Pollyannamex · 26/02/2024 12:36

It’s a myth that you only get help if you go public. All winners get the same support for the rest of their lives (you can easily find this info on google)

User14March · 26/02/2024 12:40

If you go from 20k a year to 200 mil in bank what do you do? People will cotton on? Only applies to mega wins prob, what do you tell people or do you move away & leave community behind? Nice problem to have :)

Gizamaluke · 26/02/2024 12:41

Presumably you can never really be anonymous, you get a certificate to send to banks etc for anti money laundering regulations so people at the bank would know.

The main reason I wouldn't go public is to ensure the risk of kidnapping and holding my children hostage was reduced but someone working in a bank could still kidnap my children. If I had gone public then perhaps I could pay security to protect them though.

Even if there was alternatives to the certificate offered to anonymous lottery winners, bank workers would still know I was rich.

Unsurprisingly, I don't play the lottery. Winning would be too stressful whether I went public or not.

RosePetals86 · 26/02/2024 12:47

MandyRiceDavies · 26/02/2024 12:35

Saw an interview with a lottery spokesman about this a while ago- they said it's not to do with financial advice (which all winners get, not just the ones who go public) but with managing the story.

  • Realistically, most winners are going to be unable to keep the win a secret due to lifestyle changes and people talking.
  • For the really big wins, the tabs actively try to track winners down.
  • Winners therefore have the choice of going public on their own terms or being "outed" as winners by the press.
  • Doing the first allows them more control of the story and to choose how to present themselves.

Wow what a choice! Go public on our terms or stay quiet and possibly get hunted down by the press! I know a lot of people are envious of such big wins but it makes me feel uneasy. While the money would solve some problems I bet it creates a whole other realm of them!

hookiewookie29 · 26/02/2024 12:50

Years ago, when people did Spot the Ball, one of my friends neighbours won the top prize of £250,000 ( probably nearly a million in today's money). Back then the name's and addresses of winners were made public. The amount of strangers who knocked on her door for money was unbelievable- all hours of the day and night. One woman even turned up with her 3 kids,begging for money to feed them!

Original poster
WhataPlank · 26/02/2024 13:03

I'm intrigued as to how the press would be able to hunt someone down?
With all the GDPR rules and things, even if someone at the bank tipped a journalist off - they'd never be able to confirm it, and the big media outlets surely aren't going to be making a big song and dance over "so and so MAYBE has won £££"

OP posts:
stophummingthecancan · 26/02/2024 13:18

A relative was in a syndicate that won a significant amount on the National lottery shortly after it began. Not one member of that syndicate opted for publicity as there was no incentive for doing so. She did tell family members she trusted though as she was not well off beforehand, and people would have definitely noticed the change in her lifestyle.

Gizamaluke · 26/02/2024 13:25

I mentioned bank workers but in relation to passing information to criminals. In this situation, I don't think they care about GDPR.

I don't know if bank workers are the ones tipping off the press so couldn't comment on that.

Pearlyclouds · 26/02/2024 13:27

Don't they give you more support if you agree to go public? Like financial advice.. which if you win big and come from a lower income background, you really need. As if you win millions you can't just put that quietly in your normal bank account. I think you get loads of extra stuff as well, free gifts etc from affiliated businesses etc
So it's a bit shit of the national lottery because obviously they use these people for publicity.
Anyone who already had money would know how to manage it and wouldn't need the level of support and advice.. so basically the national lottery use lower income people to advertise by bribing them, at the expense of them then getting hounded

Antsinmypantsneedtodance · 26/02/2024 13:40

Listening to an interview with a semi recent winner (can't remember who) they mentioned twice the fact that people would try and fins them so better to control the story. It soubded like a line they'd been sold. It's in the lotterys interest for people to go public. But there is no way it is the winners interest.

The trick is to do things quietly for a while 6-12 months. Sure have a few nice holidays or a little home improvement. But dont buy 3 ferraris and share your first class holidays all over facebook. After a while people won't care and you can move house. Claim you came into some inheritance or whatever.

The couple that won like 180 million a year or so ago were reasonably high earners anyway. Would anyone really notice if they spent a bit of money I guess for those on lower incomes it may be more obvious. But i guess it's how you manage it. Don't upgrade from your 1 bed council flat to an 18 bedroom mansion on day 2! Maybe buy a nice 4 bed house you "inherited" and a nice car. Live "normally" but like a normal high earner and keep a lot of things private.

I'd never go public. But our friendship circle is very small/non existent. We work from home so no one would know if we're working or not and i'm not into expensive things, other than travel and i'd keep that quiet and pretend we were off to cornwall or france ot something. So not sure anyone would notice any difference.

HaveringGold · 26/02/2024 13:41

Surely there's a massive difference if you win a couple of million versus tens of millions. With a smaller win you could 'hide' behind inheritance/small win/promotion etc in terms of changing cars/house/holidays but with some of these huge wins most people would start to live a very different life. And given they always announce where regionally the tickets came from, it wouldn't be too hard for the press to track down or for others to guess. And for every family member or friend you can trust, there is likely to be another willing to gossip.