I’m a Lotto expert and here’s what to do if YOU win Friday’s £107m jackpot – and how to avoid going off the rails
FOR lottery players, winning Friday's life-changing £107million EuroMillions jackpot is a dream come true.
But many may be wondering what to do with such a huge amount of money - and how best to avoid blowing the cash with risky investments and dodgy deals.
Lotto expert Andy Carter - a senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery - told the Sun his top tips for if you take home tonight's big win.
Players are urged to buy their tickets either in store or online before 7.30pm to be in with a chance of winning the jaw-dropping £107m prize.
Andy said: "Take your time. When people do win, it suddenly becomes serious, so people aren't often as gregarious as they think they will be.
"It is a bit of a huge shock. And sometimes you can be sort of concerned with the shock, you forget to celebrate.
"And actually winning the lottery is a fantastic and amazing thing to happen to anybody.
"For your own sake, you want to look back and think actually, I shall never ever forget this.
"Because I think if anything happens to your life, if you get married, if you move house, if you have a child. You celebrate it.
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"You take photographs of it, you record it, you remember it, you cherish it. And this is exactly the same."
A total of £107m is up for grabs, making it the 11th biggest lottery win ever.
For Brits keen to give part of their winnings to others, Andy said: "As the days and the weeks come on, people want to gift money and that is exactly what it is there for.
"If you win £107m on the National Lottery, this win is not just for you. It is for generations to come.
"But there are a couple of rules we would say about that. One is: talk to recipients.
"Talk to people you are giving the money to. Do not just get fixed on a figure. Talk about what would be useful, what would change their lives.
"We would encourage you to be equitable amongst rank. If you have got two brothers, try and treat them the same.
"The best tip I have ever heard about giving is: gift a little bit because you will always gift more.
Winning the lottery is a fantastic and amazing thing to happen to anybody. For your own sake, you want to look back and think actually, I shall never ever forget this.
Andy Carter
"If you want to give multi millions of pounds away overnight, you are making that person a lottery winner too. Like all things in life. It is all about communication."
Before making any decisions, Andy says Brits should take advice from professionals: "It is boring. I know it is boring, but make sure you have a will in place and make sure you have power of attorney, because even though they are not very exciting, actually, it allows you to have peace of mind."
But, as well as the "boring" legal stuff, Andy also said winners should celebrate and splurge on something special, be it a dream holiday, a brand new car - or even a private island.
"You know if there are things that you have always wanted to do, if you won £107m, now is the time to do it.
Lotto expert's top tips for winners
1 - And breathe: You didn’t have the money yesterday so there is no need to rush. There is rarely anything that needs doing now so take some time to plan and dream. You’ve just won mega amounts of money - allow yourself some time to get used to that fact. People hope and dream that they will win The National Lottery, and sometimes even talk about what they will do when they win but these ideas often change once it actually happens, especially when it's an amount this big.
2 - Take a holiday: If feasible, get yourself away for a few weeks. We all use breaks away from home as a time to think and with your new massive bank balance, you need that time. We encourage winners to take a break - even just for a few days away to let the win sink in.
3 - Treat yourself: You’ve just won over £100M - buy yourself something you’ve always wanted but couldn’t ever justify! It could be a handbag, a pair of shoes or a coat, it can help you get your head around the win and make it all feel a bit more real.
4 - Take advice from professionals: This is an incredible amount of money and you are going to need some support. Surround yourself with a good team of professional people that you trust to help with managing your affairs. We will introduce you to people who can help give you some excellent advice.
5 - Get the important documents sorted: It isn’t just all about the cheque. Wills and Powers of Attorney are really important documents to have and listen to any advice around gifting, inheritance tax and trusts. It is important to do some financial planning and get your legal affairs in order.
6 - Giving: We know lottery winners are a generous bunch but have a think about the gifts you want to give. Talk to the recipients first, what do you want the gift to achieve? How do they feel about that? Try not to get fixated on an amount, how can your life-changing win make a difference to the people you love?
7 - Establish your purpose: You’ve won a life-changing amount of money, it’s highly likely you might want to think about if you want to stay in your current job, if not, what are you going to do instead? Are you going to volunteer or set up your own charity? Start a business, perhaps? What’s your purpose and what are your aims now? We all need a reason to get out of bed - it’s unlikely it will be your old job so what’s it going to be?
8 - Talk to other lottery winners: You are in a unique club now. Other members of the millionaire club are the best possible source of advice. They will know how you feel, and it’s great to exchange stories with them. We offer the opportunity for publicity and non-publicity winners to meet each other at various occasions.
9 - Keep in contact with your Winners’ Advisor: At Camelot, we pride ourselves on the ongoing support we provide to people going through this amazing experience. We will be there every step of the way to guide you and introduce you to experts who can help, from private bankers, solicitors, financial planners, a life coach and even a luxury concierge company.
10 - Celebrate it! In whatever way suits you - whether it's with a glass of fizz or a cup of tea, mark the occasion and make sure you create memories. The story of your lottery win will be passed down through generations as a family legend! Make sure you record it with photos, diaries and keepsakes.
"If you always wanted to jump out of a plane, if you always wanted to meet that famous person, if you always wanted to go to the best seats or the best sporting events around the world, now is the time" he added.
And finally, Andy says any new winners should speak to past winners who can help them navigate their new-found wealth - and the pressure that comes with it.
He said: "Another good source of advice is our lottery winners.
"Not not from the view of legal advice, but from the point of view that they are the only people that will understand.
"So if you win, this £107m. There are 6,300 lottery millionaires in the UK. There are 10 people who have won more than you in the UK.
"They are the people who can say: I perhaps could not sleep or could not eat early on. But actually, it will be fine.
"With £107m, you do not want to work anymore. So what is your purpose?
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"What is your reason to get up in the morning? Make sure people have advice and things like creating their purpose. It is really important.
"The very best thing to do is go have a cup of tea with another lottery winner. I am absolutely convinced of that."