I won a large amount of money in the lottery, I don’t want to give my family a cent
A LOTTERY winner said he didn’t want to give a cent of his winnings to his family for one important reason.
The anonymously man, 32 years old, took it up Reddit to seek advice after winning the “life-changing” sum and hearing his family constantly asking for money.
He wrote: “AITA that I don’t want to share my lottery winnings with my family?
“So I (32M) recently won a significant amount of money money of the lottery. We are talking about life-changing money here.
“I’ve always been the type of person who values my independence and self-reliance, and I’ve worked hard to get where I am today.
“I’ve always been financially stable, but this is a whole new level.”
He then explained why he did not want to share his winnings with his family members.
The Reddit user shared: “My family has always been a little… let’s say, financially irresponsible.
“They have never been good with money and have always relied on others to help them out of financial trouble.
“I have helped them in the past, but always with the idea that they would try to improve their financial habits.
“When they heard I had won the lottery, they immediately started asking for money.”
He added that his relatives said it was fair for him to give them money as they are family and he “has more than enough to share”.
The lottery winner continued: “They have even gone as far as to say that I owe them money because they have helped me in the past (which is not true, I have always been the one helping them).
“I tried to explain to them that I want to use this money to my future and that I can’t just give it away, but they don’t listen.
“They call me selfish and ungrateful, and that causes a lot of tension in the family.
“I feel like I’m right about this, but the constant guilt is starting to get to me.”
People were quick to respond and give their opinions, many people thought he shouldn’t give them a dime.
One wrote: “Don’t give money away. I don’t know what you’ve won, but it’s never enough to last you through retirement.”
Another added: “It’s your money, not theirs. They shouldn’t decide how you spend it.”
Meanwhile, a third commented: “You should never have told them.”
The lottery winner agreed, saying, “I’ve seen a lot of comments suggesting I should have kept my winnings a secret, and in retrospect, you’re absolutely right.
What are my chances of winning the lottery?
EVERYONE wants to know how to win the lottery.
Unfortunately, the lottery is a game of luck and there are no tips or tricks that will guarantee you will go home with a jackpot.
The odds show how likely it is that you will win a certain prize. The lower the number, the higher the odds.
For example, a 1 in 10 chance is better than a 1 in 100 or 1 in 1,000 chance.
There are several major lotteries in the UK, including the National Lottery’s Lotto, Camelot’s EuroMillions and Thunderball.
Chances of winning the Lotto
The National Lottery Lotto is a game where you choose six numbers from 1 to 59. You can put up to seven rows of numbers on each ticket.
The game costs £2 per slip.
The chance of winning a prize in the Lotto is 1 in 9.3.
But the chances of winning the Lotto jackpot are considerably smaller.
To win the top prize, you need to match six balls. The odds of doing this and winning the jackpot are currently 1 in 45,057,474.
The second highest prize of £1,000,000 is for getting five matching main balls plus the bonus ball.
The odds of taking home the top prize of a million pounds are 1 in 7,509,579. That’s much higher than the jackpot, but still unlikely.
The odds of winning £1,750 with five main numbers without a bonus ball are 1 in 2,180, while you have a 1 in 97 chance of winning £140 with four main numbers.
The chance of winning £30 if you match 3 main numbers is much greater: 1 in 97.
And the chance of getting a free grab bag if you add two numbers together is about 1 in 10.
Odds of winning the EuroMillions
The EuroMillions tournament costs £2.50 and is open on Tuesdays and Fridays.
To play you must choose five numbers from 1-50 and two “Lucky Stars” from 1-12. Players with the most matching numbers win the top prizes.
The chance of winning the EuroMillions jackpot is even smaller than winning the Lotto jackpot.
This is because higher jackpots are usually offered, which means it attracts more attention.
Currently, the odds of matching five numbers and two lucky stars (the highest win) are 1 in 139,838,160.
According to EuroMillions, the average jackpot prize is £57,923,499.
The odds of winning the second top prize if you match 5 balls and a lucky star are normally around £262,346. This is 1 in 6,991,908.
The odds of winning the third prize for matching five balls, with an average payout of £26,277, are 1 in 3,107,515.
For four matching balls with two lucky stars it is 1 in 621,503, and for four balls with one lucky star it is 1 in 31,076. These have an average price of £1,489 and £95 respectively.
Chances of winning the Thunderball
Thunderball is another National Lottery game where you pick five numbers and one “Thunderball”. It costs just £1 to play and you can enter up to four times a week.
The £500,000 jackpot for matching five balls plus the Thunderball is 1 in 8,060,598.
The odds of winning the second highest prize of £5,000 by matching five balls are currently 1 in 620,046. The odds of winning £250 by matching four balls plus the Thunderball are 1 in 47,416.
You have the best chance of winning £3 if you match the Thunderball, with odds of 1 in 29.
“I let my enthusiasm get the better of me and now I’m suffering the consequences.
“There was also a lot of discussion about whether I should help my family or not.
“Some of you think I should cut them off altogether, while others suggest I help them in a more controlled and constructive way.”
He later updated the post to say that he had decided to “take a step back from everything.”
The man wrote: “After much thought, I have decided to take a step back from everything.
“I’m going to take some time for myself, away from my family and the pressure they put on me.
“I need to clear my head and figure out what to do. next steps without constant guilt and demands.
“I don’t run away from my responsibilities, but rather give myself the space to make the right decisions.
“I want to make sure this windfall is a blessing, not a curse.
“I will seek professional advice from lawyers and financial advisors to ensure I handle this responsibly.
“I’m also considering some of your suggestions about setting boundaries with my family and possibly offering some one-time assistance, but that’s something I’ll decide on later.”
