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Updated 6pm
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY has paid out an €8.2 million prize.
The win had been shrouded in mystery since the draw in March.
Despite an individual coming forward with a winning ticket, the prize money was not paid out immediately, with the National Lottery offering no clarification as to why this was the case.
Earlier this month, a solicitor representing the ticket holder said that the issues surrounding the ticket had been resolved, and that Premier Lotteries Ireland, the licence operator for the National Lottery, had agreed to make the payment.
The ticket holder has decided to remain anonymous.
The winning ticket was sold at the XL Shop and Stop on Stephen Street in Sligo on 5 March.
The shop, owned by retailer Matt Lyons, previously sold a €4.3 million jackpot ticket in December 2009, and has also previously sold jackpot winning Winning Streak scratchcard.
The 90-day deadline for claiming the prize expired at 5.00pm this afternoon.
- First published 3.20pm
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This is very exciting. Could we have a countdown maybe?
Yes. 114 minutes to go!!
113
I’m freaking out here, c’mon announcement!
46
15 minutes ago
12 mins. I’ve got 11 left of my break… Never going to find out!
I can’t breathe
6 minutes, jeasus, it’s like waiting for Santa.
2 mins left of my break and I still haven’t drank my coffee…
Statement on independent website, hasn’t appeared here yet.
Well that was even more anticlimactic than expected…
How much interest did they get, from stalling and having issues?
I got a letter from Spain today informing me that I won €815,000 in the Spanish lottery. All I need to do is fill in a form, contact my payment agent and the cash is mine. Makes a nice change that they are trying to scam by post instead of email. I like the personal touch of seeing my surname spelled incorrectly on an envelope.
Got one too Love when the letter begins dear miss groogan, you MAY already have won a million euro!
Don’t open that envelope, you might end up with a virus!
So this is an article advising us that you’ll have another article when the statement is released?
THE SUSPENSE!!!
All that for nowt… I haven’t been this disappointed since Garth Brooks cancelled…
Garth Brooks cancelled?!!!??? What? When was this?!?!
Don’t worry Brendan, he’s planning it all again in 2017…. He’s been onto DCC… apparently he’s got friends in low places… I’ll get my coat…
IT Could be you…… We said COULD
An under age winner perhaps?
The National Lottery would like to announce that we have decided randomly to give the 8million to Ronano LeTucci…actually lets make that 9!
“Riches beyond your wildest dreams”. Well, they weren’t lying.
They just paid out! No statement other than that!! Now we’ll never know!!! After all that!
It’s not me.
I’m not entirely clear on where Sligo is.
That’s a relief, please nobody tell him
As far I was aware, the winners were a stag party and the ticket holder’s children scribbled on the ticket, spoiling it. The ticket states that if you mark it within the two bar codes, the ticket will be deemed invalid……whatever the circumstances, I hope the winner (if genuine) gets their winnings…… 105mins to go!!
I heard a stag party too but 6 lads on a Friday did the lotto and another 14 or so that followed on the Saturday are trying to stake a claim for a share on the win even though it wasn’t a syndicate or anything. That’s what I heard, so many rumors.
The reason the claim took so long is because the winner wanted his payment in cash which the national lottery were refusing to do. The reason? The winner is in nama
Lads time is up, what is happening?!
According to RTE, the winner arrived two minutes before the deadline today and they have paid out the money.
The new lotto owners are quite fond of this carry on, they done this to a couple in the UK, refused to pay out on winning in the UK, couple lost the ticket but they dragged it out over the claim date, in the end they admitted they, won the prize but didn’t pay out.
Unclaimed prizes here go back into the prize out and good causes fund so no benefit to the company
Very naive if you believe that Wayne. Everything this crowd do is for the benefit of them.
No since the government sold the national lottery last year
They didn’t sell the lottery they sold the license, there is a fixed % of the money collected goes to good causes and all unclaimed prizes go back into the pot or too good causes. It’s all available in black and white on the government tender doc
Why would you pay out if the ticket is lost? No ticket, no money!
Much less money goes to good causes, Wayne……as the shareholders come first…..some Canadian Teachers pension Fund. It was a stupid thing to do as many more Irish charities and causes used to benefit from the Lotto……now many charities face a shortfall in funding that the Government cannot top up, it was shooting yourself in the foot for a quick few quid but costs you more in the long run.
That’s a very serious accusation, Trevor. You are accusing the management of massive fraud.
Can you back it up?
Al ca nope, the license terms are very clear 30% of all sales are returned to the exchequer, as was the case with An Post, all unclaimed prizes are split between the prize fund and good causes fund. Both terms covered in the license agreement that runs for 20 years. All freely available on line and covered under National Lotteries act 2013, if you believe the operator is in breach of this freely available and published legislation please show how.
@Reg
I’d have thought any cctv of the claimant buying the ticket at the correct place and time could be taken into consideration in the case of a lost ticket.
You are avina laff, right?
Apparently they wanted it in 1 and 2 cent coins and the national lottery is still searching it’s piggy bank.s
So where is the bloody statement, what a load of B####cks
Money — who needs it, it only causes trouble.
Send it this way if you don’t want it !
100 minutes to go
112
Pressing F5 all afternoon for this.
Hope they are paying the lost interest the winner has lost to date.
The reason the claim took so long is b
I’m gonna give myself a red thumb for pressing post too early
Apparently only 75mins to go!
37 now
Just look out for the person drinking expensive champagne and buying everyone drinks in Sligo town tonight
It could be me?
About time
Money was claimed months ago. Just paid out today.
have your say