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Participating in a Euro 2024 sweepstake could be result in a serious punishment, it has been claimed.
The showpiece in Germany kicks off on Friday when the hosts take on Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Every time an international tournament takes place, sweepstakes are a tradition as fans pay a set fee and are allocated a team.
The winner then takes home the earnings, with second and third place also pocketing a sum in some instances.
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It's a regular occurence amongst groups of mates, as well as offices and places of work.
However, gambling licensing firm Poppleston Allen, have provided vital information on the legality of sweepstakes that most will not be aware of.
It's said that it is illegal to be involved in a sweepstake unless you witness the draw in the flesh.
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This therefore means a sweepstake cannot run across multiple offices and must only be for those at the same location.
For the same reason, those who work from home are ruled out.
Shockingly, the maximum punishment for breaches is a 51-week prison sentence or a £5,000 fine as it is technically illegal gambling, as per the Gambling Act 2005.
"While formal gambling activity is heavily regulated by the Gambling Commission, there is an exception designed to allow the general public to have a bit of fun by taking part in what is officially called a work lottery, for major events such as The Grand National or a World Cup," Richard Bradley, an expert at Poppleston Allen, said in 2022 ahead of the World Cup.
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“But what many people may not realise is that the rules are very clear in that you can only sell physical tickets and all players must work in the same office – contests running across different office locations of the same company are not allowed.
“Therefore, given the permanent shift to many staff working largely or fully from home, extra care needs to be taken when running a sweepstake.
"Organisers, whether employers or employees, must make sure they do not sell any tickets via email or over the phone.
"Any staff member who wants to play must visit the office and buy a physical ticket. If these rules aren’t followed, organisers and players would technically be involved in illegal gambling.”
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Companies must adhere to the following to ensure they are not breaking rules:
- All players must pay the same amount for a ticket
- Teams must be decided by chance, for example, drawn out of a hat
- No one can make a profit and all stakes must be returned as prizes, though an organiser can deduct administration costs for running the contest
- The sweepstake can only be advertised at the work premises
- There must be a winner – the prize cannot be rolled over
Topics: Euro 2024
Josh Lawless