A new “middleman” website gives you free Lotto and EuroMillions tickets for shopping through it, instead of going direct to the retailer. We explain how it works and other ways to win big.
If you love the idea of winning big in the lottery but hate shelling out for tickets each week then a new type of website could be for you.
Wincot Media has just launched freenationallotterytickets.co.uk, which rewards you for shopping through its site with entries into the Lotto and EuroMillions lotteries.
How it works
You’re rewarded for buying goods and services through the site instead of buying direct from retailers.
It pays out lottery points every time you buy and 1,000 points is worth £1, or one lottery ticket.
You can use your points to buy individual tickets or boost your chances of winning by participating in the site’s three syndicate draws.
Here, you can go in with groups of 10, 50 or 100 other members on each ticket, meaning you can enter the lottery with as little as 1p, or 10 lottery points.
It’s this option to spend such miniscule amounts that sets it apart from other cashback sites, claims Ian Lowe, managing director of Wincot Media.
“Let’s say you make a smaller purchase [on a cashback site] and you earn 40p, it’s almost not worth claiming, so often you just forget about it,” says Lowe.
“But on our site, that 40p gives you the chance of winning a sizeable sum.”
How many points can you earn?
The amount of points you earn through this site depends on what you buy.
For example, placing your first Tesco grocery shopping order through the site would earn 2,000 lottery points, enough for two single lottery tickets or up to 200 syndicate entries.
You can also earn points without buying anything by filling out market research surveys and so on.
Other lottery bets
If you fancy a flutter but aren’t keen on this site, then there are a couple of other options available. Halifax has its own ‘lottery’ for customers who hold savings with the bank.
It pays out three £100,000 in prizes each month, as well as a number of smaller pay outs.
The catch is you have to hold at least £5,000 in one of its savings accounts, so it’s certainly not going to be an option for everyone. You can read more about the account here.
Your second alternative is plain old Premium Bonds, which pay out up to £1 million each month and are open to anyone who has £100 or more to invest.
The catch here is that you don’t earn any interest on your investment.
Maximise savings
If you don’t fancy pinning your future financial on a lottery win then it pays to shop around for the best home for your money.
You can find and compare interest rates for your savings accounts, ISAs and bonds at Confused.com.
What do you think - a good way to have a free flutter after paying for shopping you were going to buy anyway, or an expensive way to buy a lottery ticket? Leave your coments on the board below.
