Lottery Syndicate Questions and Answers

A lottery syndicate consists of a group of players who come together to buy tickets for a game. The cost of entry is shared between all the members of the syndicate and any prize money is split between the participants. You can join an online syndicate or create a group of your own.

The odds of winning are the same for each set of numbers, whether you play in a syndicate or on your own, but a syndicate is a good way to increase your chances of winning because you own a share of multiple tickets. You also don’t have to worry about the cost of purchasing more entries. Approximately one out of every five top UK prizes has been won by a syndicate.

You can set up a syndicate to play any game - that is entirely up to you and the other members of your group. It could be Lotto, Thunderball, EuroMillions, Set For Life, Lotto HotPicks, EuroMillions HotPicks, the Health Lottery, Pick 3 or any other game where you can split the cost of entry and prizes.

It is up to you which game you pick and how many members you have in your syndicate. The more people in the group, the better your chances of winning. Online syndicates offer greater convenience and security as your numbers are stored safely and the organisational work is done on your behalf. Go to the Types of Syndicate page to see the available options if you want to join an online group.

If you are starting your own syndicate, it is important to have a syndicate agreement in place even if you are playing with trusted friends or colleagues. A formal document lets everyone know what the conditions of playing are, including which draws your group will enter and when you have to pay for your portion of the entries. Go to the Create a Syndicate page for more information.

National Lottery rules dictate that a prize can only be paid to one person. You should pick a syndicate manager if you are setting up your own group, and they will receive any winnings in the same way as any individual playing the game on their own. It is then their responsibility to share the money amongst the rest of the group. This is where a signed syndicate agreement can be extremely useful, as it will act as proof that the money is to be split between the group's members.

Prizes won by online syndicates will automatically be paid out to each member of the group, making the whole process quick and simple. There is no need to contact anyone to make a claim or work out how much each player is owed.

Prizes will not be taxed if you have a formal document in place which shows you have played as a syndicate. There could be tax implications if you don’t have a syndicate agreement, as the manager would effectively be giving everyone else gifts, which could be liable for inheritance tax.

It is always a good idea to appoint a trustworthy and responsible person as syndicate manager, as they will be in charge of purchasing tickets and keeping them safe, making sure that every group member has paid on time and sharing out any winnings once they have been collected. Playing online can help with the security and checking of tickets, while it is worth a second member of the syndicate being assigned the job of making sure nothing is missed (e.g. double-checking tickets).

National Lottery tickets can be bought online or from any authorised retailer in the UK. When entering an online syndicate, the tickets have already been bought on your behalf and you just need to decide how many shares you wish to purchase.

Entering an online syndicate is a quick, convenient and secure way to boost your chances of winning a prize. All you have to do is decide whether you wish to play EuroMillions, Lotto or Thunderball, and buy as many shares as you wish.

When entering an online syndicate, you are buying shares in tickets which have been bought on your behalf. These tickets are scanned and copies are uploaded to your account to show they have been purchased, and any prizes won will be paid out automatically.

If you have set up your own syndicate with friends or colleagues, it is up to the group’s manager to collect payment from each member and then buy the tickets, before checking results and distributing any winnings.

Online syndicate prizes are divided into equal shares, and the amount each player receives depends on the number of shares they have purchased. For example, if a syndicate had 50 shares and won a jackpot of £50 million, each share would be worth £1 million. If you purchased one share, you would receive £1 million, while if you purchased two shares, you would receive £2 million, and so on.

Yes. Syndicates are legal and make it easy to have fun whilst increasing your chances of winning a lottery prize. Just make sure if you are setting up your own group to have a syndicate agreement in place to avoid disputes. If you are playing online, the syndicate will be run for you by a lottery concierge service, which safely and legally buys your tickets and pays any winnings, thereby acting as the syndicate manager.