Members of a Belgian lottery winning syndicate.

Belgian Winning Syndicate Scoops £123 Million Jackpot

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.

The shop where the winning syndicate bought their EuroMillions tickets.

REX/Shutterstock

 

 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. 

Couple holding a cheque claiming their lottery winnings

Couple win £1 million thinking it was a scam

A couple from Telford, England, are celebrating after bagging lottery winnings of £1 million on the lottery!

Ruth says she almost forgot to buy a ticket on the day of the draw due to her Karate class. But luckily, Rob reminded her to buy a ticket before leaving for class. If that wasn’t enough, the pair were convinced their winning email was a scam!

Ruth Giblin and her husband Rob only started playing the lottery together two years ago. They were going to stop playing after their first year of playing, but Ruth convinced Rob to continue for just one more year.

Narrowly claiming their lottery winnings…

Couple show off national lottery winnings

 

The sceptical couple assumed it was a trick when they received a notice on the National Lottery app the next day.

They didn’t realise they were millionaires until they contacted Camelot to confirm their prize, at which point they broke into tears!

‘Rob set reminders for me to put the EuroMillions ticket on, as he has to every week, while I was away,’ says Mrs Giblin.

 

 

 

It was time to claim their lottery winnings!

Rob stated that he bought the ticket and soon forgot about it, going straight to Karate that evening. He explained that they got up early the following day for a swim when he received an email informing him they had excellent news regarding the ticket.

Rob continued to explain that when he got into his National Lottery app, he saw that he had only matched one number, but it said he had won £1 million, which baffled him. 

Mrs Giblin, a leisure centre supervisor, was concerned it was a hoax and went online to look for the phone number she needed to call to verify the victory.

Couple celebrated lottery winnings with champagne

 

 

She explains that she was certain it was a hoax. However, when she noticed it was the exact number for Camelot, she tried to call it, only to find they were not yet open…

Rather than sitting around, they opted to go swimming even though it was all they could think about.

They then spoke about what they would do if it was real all the way home. However, they were trying not to get their hopes up.

 

 

What do they plan to do with the money?

They immediately told their two children and went to Mrs Giblin’s parent’s house to inform them on what was her father’s birthday.

The couple, who have been married for 23 years, intend to maintain their careers. They plan to share their newfound fortune with the rest of their family.

The pair have also paid their mortgage and are planning a luxury holiday and purchasing a new kitchen.

Couple shows lottery winnings with champagne

 

 

They intend to construct a summerhouse for their daughter and intend for her to use it as an art room. They also plan on buying a gaming computer for their 16-year-old son.

Ruth’s winning EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker code for the Friday, July 22, EuroMillions draw was TLBX74150.

 

 

 

 

Are you feeling inspired by this story and thinking of entering the lottery? Why not join a lottery syndicate and boost your chances of winning? Join a lottery syndicate today.