Olmen is a pretty little village in the Antwerp province of Belgium. It hosts an annual mediaeval carnival, but other than that, it’s a typical village where villagers do typical things. Typical, that is, apart from the fact that 165 of those villagers are now extremely wealthy thanks to being part of a winning syndicate that scooped a massive €142m (£123m) on the EuroMillions, meaning they took home a staggering €860k (£745k) each.
How the Belgian winning syndicate did it
Before anyone had even considered they might be winners, the large syndicate made a deal that no matter what prize they won (if any at all), they would share it equally between them all. They also ensured they bought their EuroMillions tickets from their local newsagents, a shop called De Pershoek. After all, the shop had been known to produce winners in the past, although those winners never walked away with anywhere near as much money as the most recent winning syndicate.
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After spending just under £13 each to be part of the draw, it’s unlikely that many – if any – of the participants gave their tickets another thought. Until, of course, the owner of De Pershoek, Wim Van Broekhoven, told them about their prize.
Speaking to a local radio station, Wim said that he had to repeat the news five or six times before it even started to sink in.
What is a lottery syndicate?
The aim behind a lottery syndicate is to increase the odds of winning by pooling resources to buy many tickets. The participants of the syndicate each contribute a set amount to cover the purchase of several lottery tickets, with the understanding that any profits will be split evenly among all contributors.
Syndicates are groups of average people who join together regularly to buy lottery tickets with a shared budget. These people may be coworkers, family members, or friends. Most importantly, everyone is playing the lottery for the sole purpose of increasing their odds of winning the jackpot, and, as we’ve seen with the winning syndicate from Belgium, it does work.
It’s time to join a lottery syndicate
Whether you already play a weekly lottery or not, joining a syndicate is the best way to increase your chances of winning a life-changing amount of money; after all, one in five jackpots go to syndicates!
The easiest way to join in is to sign up with Lotto Social. Here you’ll find ready-made syndicates waiting for new members, or you can start your own and have it managed by experts. Check out the benefits on offer today.