LOTTERY WIN

[WriterMike]

New York.
I'm a writer seeking advice. If my teenage character won big money in the UK lottery (play from 16) whilst on vacation, could the parents forcibly place that money into a trust until she is 18? Providing her with a limited allowance and them with sufficient monies to provide a good level of care and living standard.

I know you are all very busy but if you had a quick thought, I would be very grateful. Many thanks!

 

[cbg]

Absolutely they could. She is a minor. Winning a lottery does not remove her from the care, custody and control of her parents.

 

[WriterMike]

Absolutely they could. She is a minor. Winning a lottery does not remove her from the care, custody and control of her parents.

Thanks! That is good news for my story. So very briefly, what would the process be?

 

[adjusterjack]

If my teenage character won big money in the UK lottery (play from 16) whilst on vacation

There's where your scenario fails. Your teenage character would not be eligible to play whilst on vacation. She'd have to be a resident of the UK or Isle of Man. See Rule 1.2:

https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/account-terms?icid=bsp:na:tx

could the parents forcibly place that money into a trust until she is 18?

Forcibly? You're making it seem like the parents are doing something evil to the child. They wouldn't be.

Writers are supposed to do research. I suggest you do some before you suggest scenarios, assuming you want some sense of reality in your stories.

 

[adjusterjack]

what would the process be?

Whatever the lottery says it is.

 

[WriterMike]

There's where your scenario fails. Your teenage character would not be eligible to play whilst on vacation. She'd have to be a resident of the UK or Isle of Man. See Rule 1.2:

https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/account-terms?icid=bsp:na:tx


Forcibly? You're making it seem like the parents are doing something evil to the child. They wouldn't be.

Writers are supposed to do research. I suggest you do some before you suggest scenarios, assuming you want some sense of reality in your stories.

I contacted UK national lottery and they told me you have to be physically located there TO PLAY i.e. when you buy the ticket. You don't have to be resident. I used the word 'forcibly; only to suggest drama. One more question - do you get off on coming over all superior?

 

[WriterMike]

Whatever the lottery says it is.

The legal process.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

In the US parents have virtually complete control of their children. Let's say that 16 year old had a job at the grocery store. The parents would be within their legal right to require that all of her paychecks be given to them.

A check from the UK lottery would be no different.

 

[adjusterjack]

That would be the "legal" process because the lottery's decision not to write a big check to a minor is likely to be based on state law.

A 16 year old "resident" of the UK can probably squirrel the money away based on that debit type card system and hide it from parents to some extent. But the age of majority in the UK is 18, so the parents could still exert control over the money.

Your imaginary 16 year old on vacation in the UK isn't eligible because he/she is not a resident.

In the US the minimum "legal" age for playing lotteries is 18. Anyone under 18 will be ID's at the place of purchase and not be allowed to purchase tickets. Obviously, an adult can purchase tickets for the minor but the minor wouldn't be able to present the ticket for payment. An adult would have to do it and then turn the money over to the minor. Likely illegal on both ends but the over the counter lottery payments would probably be able to fly under the radar. The big money payout would have stricter procedures which you can look up.

 

[Just Blue]

I contacted UK national lottery and they told me you have to be physically located there TO PLAY i.e. when you buy the ticket. You don't have to be resident. I used the word 'forcibly; only to suggest drama. One more question - do you get off on coming over all superior?

Question for you...do you get off on coming "over" (across ) audacious?

 

[adjusterjack]

I contacted UK national lottery and they told me you have to be physically located there TO PLAY i.e. when you buy the ticket. You don't have to be resident.

Gee, I relied on the actual written rules and you relied on what somebody "told" you.

I used the word 'forcibly; only to suggest drama.

If that's how you suggest drama, I suggest you don't quit your day job.

One more question - do you get off on coming over all superior?

Only to my inferiors.

 

[LdiJ]

New York.
I'm a writer seeking advice. If my teenage character won big money in the UK lottery (play from 16) whilst on vacation, could the parents forcibly place that money into a trust until she is 18? Providing her with a limited allowance and them with sufficient monies to provide a good level of care and living standard.

I know you are all very busy but if you had a quick thought, I would be very grateful. Many thanks!

If we are talking about US parents and a US child, yes, the parents can do that.

 

[stealth2]

Sounds like a deadly dull book...

 

[xylene]

So very briefly, what would the process be?

Make up any process you want. The crux of your story is melodrama not gambling procedure purity.

Do you know how many UTTERLY unrealistic gambling details are in classic movies, books and stories?

PS - If there is a big win, pretty much all of them.

 

[cbg]

Mike, the question of whether or not a 16 year old can legally play the lottery in the UK is to a certain degree a question of literary license. I am also a writer, with two books published so far, and on one of the ones I am working on I had a question about a real estate easement that was far more complicated than your question. I was advised, by a lawyer on these boards (though he does not post on this forum), that I should do what was right for the story and leave the question of strict legalities alone. My concept was one that could play out many different ways - I should simply pick the one that worked best for me. If you were told by the UK National Lottery that your character could play the lottery as long as she was physically present in the UK at the time, that should be good enough. Go ahead with your story the way it works.