Lottoland, anyone use it?

Batzoo

Keep seeing Chris Tarrant advertise this on the box and I am thinking of setting up an account. Mainly interested in throwing a few quid into the massive Jackpot lotteries once in a while. So with that in mind, a few questions...

Anybody here use them?
Experience good and bad?
Does a big win from this type of gambling need tax to be paid on it in Ireland, or is it exempt? (Bet is placed with a UK company, and big payouts are to a bank account in your name in Gibraltar, winnings would have to be transferred back to Ireland)

I know they don't buy actual tickets but take an insurance against the jackpots being won. See mention on site (with names and photos) of big winners, so I checked out the terms and conditions. A few that jumped out were
...The Player is obliged to receive Winnings in Gibraltar and Lottoland will pay Winnings into a bank account in Gibraltar opened in the Player's name (the above does not apply to Australian players). Furthermore, the Player is obliged to receive Winnings equivalent to 100.000,00 EUR or more in an handover ceremony open to media of Lottoland’s choice and to give one or more interviews. The Player may still choose to stay anonymous.

So it seems you are obliged to attend a public media event and give interviews but can still remain anonymous. How does that work, turn up dressed in a full body costume as barney or something.

Another... (Summarised)...
(If only one Jackpot winning ticket, the payout is as follows)
Winnings = Underlying Lottery Jackpot in that Type A Prize Category / (Underlying Lottery Jackpot Winning Tickets in that Type A Prize Category + 1)
Which to me translates to winnings = Jackpot / winning tickets + 1, which seems to imply you will only get half the jackpot if you were lucky enough to win! Does this seem right to you or am I reading it wrong? If I am correct, it sounds like a scam.

Anyway, it seems like a good way to play big power-ball type lotteries but the T&C's seem to make me wary, because you know I feel that big lotto win in my bones, and don't want every Tom, Dick and Harry after my 500 million dollar win, you know the feeling.

whiteshorts

I also looked at it when they were advertising on groupon for discounted tickets.
Didn't like the look of it tbh especially when they don't buy the tickets for you.
Nothing stopping them having a big winner or two and then walking away without paying them, not saying they would do that, just that they could.
I'll stick to buying a ticket.

Batzoo

whiteshorts wrote: »

Didn't like the look of it tbh especially when they don't buy the tickets for you.

Yes, but this part makes sense, if they had to buy the tickets for everbody who played, they would not make any money.

whiteshorts wrote: »

Nothing stopping them having a big winner or two and then walking away without paying them, not saying they would do that, just that they could.
I'll stick to buying a ticket.

I don't think the insurance policy(Brokers) that they use would be happy with that arrangement, also they claim some sort of financial regulator arrangement who may also be opposed to those sort of shenanigans. SO ultimately I would not be too worried about getting paid, it's just the amount that would concern me. I would hate to think of winning a big jackpot, only to find out that they only pay out half the winnings, then find out that Enda wants another 50+ %, only to end up with less than quarter of what you believed you had won.

Yes I do continue to buy tickets for the local Draws and euros, and like the Idea that the money went to an Irish company and the kick back to the local communities to some degree. But since the sellout to Camelot or Canadian Pension fund or whoever, you know the profit is getting stripped out of the country. This leaves a bitter taste. So I have reduced the amount I spend on the lottery games by at least half. (Still cant not do "My Numbers")

The main reason though for my interest in this outfit is not for the tickets I can buy here, its for the big world 200+ million jackpots that are played in other countries.