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The Irish Lottery Winner’s Prize Raises Border Concerns

The Irish Lottery Winner’s Prize Raises Border Concerns

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Law & Politics Lottery

Updated by Alan Evans

News Writer

Last Updated 11th Sep 2024, 08:27 AM

The Irish Lottery Winner’s Prize Raises Border Concerns

An Irishman who won £800 on the lottery with a ticket he purchased in the UK has raised concerns over the issue of border control between Ireland and the UK, claiming he’ll have to spend the majority of his winnings travelling to the UK just to collect his prize.

The Donegal man issued a call to his Irish patriots not to play the lottery when in the UK because they could not send any winnings to Ireland.

Travel to UK Could Wipe Out Winnings

61-year-old Kieran Gallagher won £800 on a ticket he purchased in County Tyrone, which is across the Irish border on UK territory. Kieran, a factory worker, now faces the prospect of having to travel to the UK within two years to collect his winnings unless the lottery has a change of direction and allows him to collect his winnings in Belfast.

Lottery operator, Allwyn, has said that any prizes up to £500 can be collected at a UK or Isle of Man ship, while any prizes above this should be claimed by contacting Allwyn.

Irish Lottery Winnings Can Be Collected by Non-Residents

The operators of Ireland's lottery have confirmed to the Irish Mirror that the situation Kieran is facing would not apply to Irish lottery games. A spokesperson said a person who is not resident in Ireland would be able to collect their winnings easily.

She said, "There is no requirement to be a resident of Ireland in order to participate in National Lottery games. National Lottery players are reminded that if they purchase a winning ticket in a shop in the Republic of Ireland, they must claim their prize within 90 days of the applicable draw date, in the Republic of Ireland."

"Prizes between €1 and €100 can be claimed at any National Lottery retailer. Prizes between €1 and €2,500 can be claimed at any Post Office nationwide. Prizes between €1 and €14,999 can be claimed at A Post Prize Claim Centres. For prizes of €15,000 and above, players should contact the National Lottery Claims Department by calling 1800 666 222 to arrange the processing of their prize in Lottery HQ."

Meet The Author

Alan Evans

News Writer

Most of my career was spent in teaching including at one of the UK’s top private schools. I left London in 2000 and set up home in Wales raising four beautiful children. I enrolled at University where I studied Photography and film and gained a Degree and subsequently a Masters Degree. In 2014 I helped launch a new local newspaper and managed to get front and back page as well as 6 filler pages on a weekly basis. I saw that journalism was changing and was a pioneer of hyperlocal news in Wales. In 2017 I started one of the first 24/7 free independent news sites for Wales. Having taken that to a successful business model I was keen for a new challenge. Joining the company is exciting for me especially as it is a new role in Europe. I am keen to establish myself and help others to do the same.

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