Imagine checking your lottery ticket and discovering you’re a new National Lottery winner. What comes next? Winning is a possibility, no matter how remote the chances are. So, we must consider what comes next if you win the lottery.
For example, do you go public or remain anonymous? We’ll explore the answer in our Wizard Slots blog post below.
Can You Hide Your Identity If You Win The Lottery In The UK?
You can remain anonymous if you win the lottery in the UK.
For example, you don’t have to claim prizes of less than £50,000 in person. So, you don’t need to decide to go public. However, any wins more than that will require you to make that decision.
The National Lottery will ask you to decide when you claim your win in person. They’ll offer any support and advice on possible outcomes, but ultimately, the decision is up to you.
What Happens If You Stay Anonymous After Winning The Lottery?
Staying anonymous after winning the lottery is okay. The National Lottery won’t release any personal details. This includes; your identity, location of purchase, or whether you’re an individual, duo, or more. However, they’ll announce that the prize has been claimed.
No one will force you to reveal your identity.
Do You Have To Tell Your Spouse If You Win The Lottery?
You don’t have to tell your spouse if you win the lottery. However, you will have to disclose your wins to the Court in case of divorce.
The Court will consider when the winnings were received. For example, was the marriage failing, or was the couple already separated? If the wins were received when the couple was happily married, the lottery winnings are considered ‘Matrimonial property’.
However, if the lottery win happened after a separation, they’re ‘Non-Matrimonial property’.
Lottery wins can be looked at as ‘Matrimonial’ if:
- The money you used to buy the lottery ticket was from a joint funds account.
- The prize money was used to buy assets registered in both parties’ names.
- Assets purchased in the winner’s name are used by both spouses jointly, e.g., a car, a home, etc.
Benefits Of Staying Anonymous After Winning The Lottery
Some winners have chosen to stay anonymous in the past. For example, the largest jackpot winner in the UK of £195,707,000 was in July 2022. They chose to stay anonymous. There are a few benefits of staying anonymous. For example:
- Winners avoid scrutiny from the public. They save themselves from constant interest from the media.
- No requests for handouts. Nobody knows you’re a winner, so they won’t come around asking for handouts.
- Avoids family rifts. Remaining anonymous ensures your family and distant relatives don’t come knocking after hearing about your win. Sometimes, relatives might get annoyed that they won’t get a share of your profits.
- No urgent need to make big financial decisions. Sometimes going public might invite pressure to buy certain items hurriedly. However, staying anonymous saves you from attention and unwanted pressure.
