Guides
Lottery, explained.
The parts nobody tells you until you’ve won — taxes, claim deadlines, staying anonymous, and the first calls to make. Researched against official sources and kept current.
Canada · Canada
What to Do If You Win the Lottery in CanadaThe first hour, the first week, and the first calls that matter — sign the ticket, take your time (you have a year), build a team before you claim, and understand how you'll actually be paid. A calm, sourced checklist.Can You Stay Anonymous After Winning the Lottery in Canada?Almost never — and Quebec isn't the exception people think. A province-by-province look at publicity rules across OLG, BCLC, WCLC, Loto-Québec and ALC, why trusts don't work, and the one situation where anonymity is actually granted.Lottery Group Play and Office Pools in Canada: Rules and How to Avoid DisputesOffice pools win jackpots — and start lawsuits. How Canadian lottery corporations pay out group claims, why the split is tax-free, and the written-agreement rules that keep a shared win from ending up in court, drawn from real Canadian cases.Lost or Damaged Lottery Ticket: Your Options in CanadaA Canadian lottery ticket is a bearer instrument — whoever holds it can claim it. Here's what actually happens if you lose it, it's stolen, or it comes out of the wash, and why signing it is the one thing that protects you.How to Claim a Lottery Prize in Western Canada (WCLC)One simple line splits the process — under $1,000 at a retailer, over $1,000 at a prize office or by mail. The offices across the Prairies and territories, the one-year deadline, the statutory declaration you'll sign, and how WCLC pays. A step-by-step guide.How to Claim a Lottery Prize in Ontario (OLG)Where to claim by prize size, the one-year deadline, what to bring, and how you'll be paid — OLG runs Canada's first fully digital prize claim, but big wins still funnel to the Toronto Prize Centre. A step-by-step guide.How to Claim a Lottery Prize in Quebec (Loto-Québec)Quebec's tiers, the $600.01–$50,000 online claim window, and the payout Ontario and BC don't offer — Interac e-Transfer and direct deposit. The claim centres, the one-year deadline, what to bring, and the group rules. A step-by-step Loto-Québec guide.How to Claim a Lottery Prize in British Columbia (BCLC)The prize-size tiers, the Regional Prize Payout offices, and why anything over $25,000 means an appointment in Kamloops or Vancouver — plus the one-year deadline, what to bring, and how BCLC pays. A step-by-step BC claim guide.How to Claim a Lottery Prize in Atlantic Canada (ALC)Atlantic Canada is the one place you claim a mid-size lottery prize at a Scotiabank branch. The prize tiers, the ALC offices in Moncton, Halifax and St. John's, the one-year deadline, the sworn declaration you'll need, and how ALC pays. A step-by-step guide.Are Lottery Winnings Taxable in Canada?Canadian lottery winnings are tax-free — no federal tax, no provincial tax, no withholding. Here's the CRA rule behind it, the three times the taxman does show up, and how Canada compares to the United States.
United States · United States
What Happens to Unclaimed Lottery Jackpots?Winning tickets do go unclaimed — the largest was a $77 million Powerball prize that expired in Georgia. Here's how the deadlines work, the 60-day trap that catches cash-option winners, and where the money goes when nobody comes forward.Can Non-US Citizens and Tourists Win the Lottery?Yes — you don't need to be a US citizen or resident to play or win Powerball and Mega Millions. But a non-resident faces a 30% federal withholding instead of 24%, and for Canadians the tax treaty helps far less on a jackpot than the internet suggests. Here's how it works.New York Lottery Claim GuideWhere to claim by prize size, the appointment-only Customer Service Centers, the one-year deadline, and why New York is the most heavily taxed state to win in — 10.9% state plus New York City's own 3.876% on top of federal. What to bring and whether you can stay private.Lump Sum vs Annuity: The Real Math of a Lottery JackpotThe cash option is worth roughly half the headline jackpot — here's exactly why, how the 30-year annuity actually pays out, what each choice does to your taxes, and the real trade-offs behind the decision most winners get 60 days to make.Lottery Taxes in the US: Federal and State BreakdownUS lottery winnings are fully taxable — 24% is withheld up front, but a jackpot really owes up to 37% federally, plus state tax that ranges from zero to nearly 11%. The federal rules, a state-by-state table, and why the withholding is never the whole bill.Lottery Scams: How to Spot ThemIf you have to pay to collect a prize, it isn't a prize. The scams that impersonate Powerball and Mega Millions, the red flags that give them away, and the one rule that defeats every version — plus exactly what to do if you're targeted.How to Claim a Powerball or Mega Millions PrizeYou claim in the state where you bought the ticket, under that state's rules — never across state lines. The prize tiers, the deadlines that range from 90 days to a year, the separate 60-day clock on the cash option, and exactly what to bring.Which States Let Lottery Winners Stay Anonymous?Some states protect winners by law, some only above a dollar threshold, and most publish your name — but a trust or LLC can shield you even in a disclosure state. A current state-by-state look, plus the 2025–2026 wave of new anonymity laws.
Europe · Europe
UK Lottery Winnings and TaxUK National Lottery and EuroMillions prizes are paid completely tax-free — no income tax, no capital gains tax. But the money isn't beyond the taxman forever: interest is taxable, and giving winnings away runs into inheritance tax and the 7-year rule. What's free and what isn't.Can You Stay Anonymous in the UK Lottery?Yes — completely. Unlike the US, where winners are often public record, and Canada, where you generally can't hide, the UK National Lottery only ever publicises a winner who consents. How anonymity works, why most big winners choose it, and what it does and doesn't protect.Spain and Portugal Lottery TaxEuroMillions is one game, but the tax on a win depends entirely on where you bought the ticket. Spain takes 20% above €40,000; Portugal 20% above €5,000; both withheld at source. A country-by-country breakdown of who taxes European lottery prizes and who doesn't.EuroMillions: How It Works Across 9 CountriesOne draw, nine countries, one shared jackpot — but where you buy decides the currency you're paid in, the rules you claim under, and whether you're taxed at all. How the pan-European game actually works, from the €250 million cap to why a UK winner and a Spanish winner keep very different amounts.EuroMillions vs EuroJackpot: Odds and Prize ComparisonThe two big European jackpots share identical jackpot odds — 1 in 139.8 million — but differ in almost everything else: EuroMillions caps higher at €250M and gives better overall odds; EuroJackpot is cheaper and played in twice as many countries. A side-by-side breakdown.Claiming a Lottery Prize in the UK: Deadlines and ProcessWhere to claim by prize size, the £50,000 line above which a win is validated by phone and paid in person, the firm 180-day deadline, and how it differs for online players. A step-by-step guide to collecting a National Lottery or EuroMillions prize.