Lottery Syndicates And Everything You Need To Know
Your complete guide to Lottery Syndicates
Lottery Guru provides you with comprehensive information about Lottery Syndicates. We list everything you need to know about Lottery Syndicates, how they work and how to get involved. This is your complete guide.
What Is a Lottery Syndicate?
A lottery syndicate is a collection of people who play major lotteries as a larger group. They do this by pooling money together to buy multiple tickets, which significantly increases the odds of winning a prize. Any money that is won is divided between the people who paid into the syndicate.
The syndicate attitude is straightforward: If we play as part of a lottery syndicate and win, everyone in the syndicate will also win. We may not take as much money home as an individual winner would, but the odds of winning are more realistic in terms of getting a prize.
Are Lottery Syndicates Legal?
Yes, of course they are!There is nothing illegal about lottery syndicates because there are no statistical advantages. All a syndicate does is increase the odds of winning a prize over playing a lottery as an individual.In fact, they are a great way of having fun with your family, friends or colleagues from work, by getting together and knowing that you have a better chance of sharing the top prize!
How Can Lottery Syndicates Help You Win?
Lottery syndicates can help you win by increasing the odds of winning a prize through the amount of tickets sold. A syndicate can buy hundreds of tickets, which significantly increases the chances of winning. When a lottery draw is made, the possibility of someone in your syndicate having a winning ticket is much greater than when you play alone.
Example: The odds of winning a US Powerball lottery are 1 in 292,201,338. If the syndicate buys 100 tickets, the winning odds drop down to 1 in 292,201, which significantly increases the chances of getting a significant return. However, the winning return will only be 1% of what could be won as a solo player.
What are the downfalls of a lottery syndicate?
Winning a prize is a great experience, so when you get that winning ticket, it might not feel great when you have to divide the prize money between other people and by the amount of tickets bought by your lottery syndicate.On the other hand, if your syndicate buys 100 tickets, you have 100 times more chances of getting something back in return, which enhances player involvement, fun and excitement.
How to play a syndicate lottery?
By law, a lottery can only be won by a single ticket holder, which is the lottery syndicate manager.
Example: A syndicate buys X amount of tickets, which are all bought by the manager using the funds from the people who paid into the syndicate.
Having an official and well-organized lottery syndicate structure is therefore essential to gain the trust of all participants. Players must be guaranteed that, if a syndicate wins, they will get their paid-up portion of the winning prize.
Paying into a clandestine syndicate or anything that you do not feel 100% comfortable with is not a good idea. Before paying in, make sure that you feel confident about getting a return if your winning ticket comes in!
What happens if a syndicate wins the lottery?
If any prize is won by your lucky syndicate, the cash will be paid to the person who holds the winning ticket, the syndicate manager. Initially, your syndicate manager gathers together the money paid into the syndicate, by you, your family, friends and colleagues. The manager then buys as many tickets as they can with the available cash.They divide winning spoils between all syndicate participants in the correct proportion. Small prizes won are usually reinvested for the next draw.
The biggest lottery syndicate winners.
Winning as part of a syndicate can really happen, and regularly does. See the contents of the below table for the biggest and best winning syndicates so far.
| Jackpot Won | Lottery | No. of Players | Date | More Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.05 billion | Mega Millions | 4 | January 22, 2021 | The Wolverine FLL Club made lottery history by claiming the $1.05 billion jackpot: one of the biggest lottery jackpot wins in the world. The winning ticket was bought at the last minute in a supermarket! |
| $731 million | Powerball Jackpot | 4 | January 20, 2021 | Winners of the biggest prize ever awarded by the Maryland Lottery, after federal taxes, the Power Pack took home an extraordinary $546.8 million! |
| $516 million | Mega Millions | 5 | May 21, 2021 | The Peace of Mind trust took home $349 million in cash after their Quick Pick ticket came up trumps. All participants chose to remain anonymous. |
| $437 million | Mega Millions | 23 | January 1, 2019 | This was the biggest payout ever in New York, when 23 Long Island co-workers hit on the main prize! Choosing to stay anonymous, each co-worker took home $7.7 million after state and federal taxes. |
| €175.4 million | Euromillions Superdraw | 9 | February 19, 2019 | The largest lottery prize ever won in Ireland, with each of the nine family siblings taking home €19.4 million. |
| $420.9 million | Powerball Jackpot | 20 | November 26, 2016 | From Portland, Tennessee, this group of 20 co-workers elected to take the cash option of $254 million, with each collecting $12.7 million (before taxes). |
How to Play in an online Lottery Syndicate?
Playing in an online lottery syndicate is very similar to buying the lottery ticket online. First choose a lottery you want to play, then select the syndicate option.
Instead of numbers and tickets, choose how many shares you wish to purchase in this syndicate. Once your selections are made, a fee is charged per share.
When you are happy, confirm the purchase, to be debited the financial amount in the same way as buying tickets.
Multiple purchase options are available. If a group has 100 members, for example, you can purchase 50 shares (50%) in that group. However, it’s not usually possible to purchase shares in multiple syndicates that play the same game.
Remember that the online syndicate manages everything for you. By purchasing lottery tickets, verifying results and making payments. Be wary and make sure you are completely happy with your chosen website.
What Are the Best Online Lottery Syndicates?
If you decide to play in a syndicate run by an established third-party company, an online syndicate is definitely the best option for you.Most of the best online lottery sites offer syndicate play. Here is the list of the best online Lottery Syndicates currently available.
TheLotter
TheLotter selects numbers for you and buys multiple batches before each draw. With multiple different syndicates being available, simply select your favourite and then decide on how many shares you wish to buy.
Lottoland
Fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and with a total of eight international licences, Lottoland has multiple well-balanced syndicate options. For example, there are various Powerball options available, with each having 100+ participants and with players able to purchase more than one share.
WinTrillions
Players can play in 15 worldwide lotteries. Choose your preferred syndicate, the amount of shares that you want to own and how long you want to play for. Buy from the comfort of your own home for a safe, fun, rewarding and trouble-free experience.
Lotto Agent
With a terrific Trustpilot score of 4.6, Lotto Agent syndicate members can purchase shares in PowerBall, Euro Millions, Mega Millions and dozens of other European lotteries. Suggestions are open for the creation of syndicates in other lotteries not already listed, so get in touch and voice your opinion.
LottoKings
LottoKings enables registered participants to buy shares in a pool of lottery plays to increase their chances of winning. Their lottery teams have already won three multi-million dollar jackpots. Syndicates are currently available in PowerBall, EnaLotto (Italy), Euro Millions and Mega Millions, plus many more.
How are the numbers of syndicate members chosen?
The number of people who can participate in a syndicate are chosen by the manager and its members, with each person needing to sign a collective agreement that binds all members and guarantees payouts. A syndicate can have as little as two people, but typically four or more. Companies with friendly co-workers usually have around 20 or more members.
However, you can have hundreds or members if you wish, with online lottery syndicates usually having 100+ members in each established syndicate. Note that too many syndicate members is impractical and can be overly complicated when distributing winnings and managing participant spreadsheets, which is why many people go for online lottery syndicates instead.
Pros and Cons of the Lottery Syndicates?
Pros:
- A large amount of tickets can be purchased for a lot less, to increase the odds of winning.
- The larger the syndicate, the better the odds of getting a win.
- It is a fun and communicative pastime that can be played with family, friends or co-workers.
- You do not have to permanently commit to a syndicate. Pay and play, or try something else.
Cons:
- Winnings are split between all syndicate members, drastically reducing individual payouts.
- Large syndicates will result in even less winnings for the individual.
- Legal battles can sometimes ensure when untrustworthy syndicate managers decide to keep more than their fair share!
How to run your own lottery syndicate?
Basic steps
- Choose a syndicate manager
A person needs to be chosen as the person in charge of the syndicate. Online lottery syndicates do this for you.
- Pick a lottery
Decide on the lottery games that you are going to play and how often you want to participate in them. Once a week, twice a week, or more?
- Define the number of players
How many members should the syndicate have? Just a few close friends, or more?
- Collect the money
How will tickets be funded? Does everyone pay for each individual ticket, or pay a lump sum that is split into as many tickets as possible?
Advanced steps
- Create a tracking spreadsheet
Use a spreadsheet or another suitable document to track member inclusion, payments and payout splits, or use one widely available on the web such as this Lottery Syndicate Agreement.
- Sign and date everything.
Make sure that everyone signs and dates the agreement, as well as agreeing to the percentage payouts that need to be tracked in a spreadsheet. There is no need to register a lottery syndicate under normal circumstances. This is not required by law.
Just make sure it is okay to play as a syndicate before you begin, or join an online syndicate if you want someone to manage the syndicate for you. Start small to gain experience, with just a few members, followed by expansion at a later date if you want more members and to increase the odds of winning a prize.
Syndicate Terms Explained
Lines
Also known as blocks or tickets, lines are the different number combinations that are bought (by the manager) for a syndicate. E.g.; a 100-line syndicate has 100 unique number combinations, for 100 chances to win the jackpot.
Total Shares
Known as shares, each syndicate is divided into equal parts available for purchase, which determine the portion of syndicate prizes that players can win. A syndicate with 50 total shares pays out 2% for each winning share (100% divided into 50 equal parts), for example.
What Are the Different Types of Syndicates Available?
This terminology is used by TheLotter (which may not apply to other syndicates).
Random Selection
Numbers are chosen at random for the fixed number of lines.
Systematic
Numbers are also chosen at random, but with all probable unique combinations also being taken into account.
Additional Numbers Match Guaranteed
A straightforward process of making sure that all additional or bonus numbers are chosen at least once, to enhance the odds of winning.
Guaranteed Number Match
Each line chosen by the syndicate must contain at least one dynamic-changing number that spans the entire guess range of the lottery. This guarantees that the syndicate will match at least one of the numbers drawn.
Lottery Syndicate Agreement
Usually, everyone involved in a syndicate needs to sign a Lottery Syndicate Agreement, so that each member gets their fair share if the syndicate wins a prize.
This is straightforward and requires the choice of a syndicate name, a manager and an assistant manager (to take over if necessary). This is followed by the name and signature of everyone involved, plus the share of winnings to be paid out as a percentage. Signing of an agreement is legally binding and ensures that everyone gets paid.
Here is an example of a lottery syndicate agreement: Lottery Syndicate Agreement
Are Lottery Syndicate Winnings Taxed?
Yes, lottery syndicate winnings are taxed.
In exactly the same way as tax is levied on individual lottery winnings.In some countries such as the United States, tax is usually levied at state and federal level, which can amount to more than 30%.
Tax is normally deducted at source, but if you are lucky enough to win, make sure to check with local tax authorities. In some countries, no tax is deducted at all, which applies to individual and syndicate winnings alike.
Summary
Lottery syndicates are a really good idea for people who want to play in a group instead of on their own. As well as being a fun and bonding experience, it significantly enhances the odds of winning a prize.
However, the more people who participate in a syndicate, the lower the payout to you as an individual after winnings are split, which is the downside.
Either form your own syndicate with a small group of family or friends, a group of co-workers, or join a reputable online Lottery Syndicate that will be managed for you.
Whatever you do, make sure that everything is signed, legal and above board before parting with your hard-earned cash, to avoid potential disputes at a later date.
Most of all, have fun, knowing that you are a little bit closer to claiming a significant prize!