Lottery News: NHS Staff Scoop EuroMillions Syndicate Win

A Big Lottery Win Can Mean a Big Lottery Fall!

NHS staff at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Wales are celebrating after landing a win of more than £100K on the EuroMillions. A group of hospital workers were lucky enough to match five main numbers drawn and one lucky star to scoop a EuroMillions prize of £118,044 on Friday October 8^th, meaning every member of the group will take home £2,227.26p!

The syndicate known as Pharmily Crew, involved Lotto tickets only up until recently, but syndicate leader and pharmacy technician at the hospital, Kim Owen decided the EuroMillions prize was so high, she would buy tickets for that draw too.

Kim said: “We don’t always play EuroMillions but because the jackpot has been so high, we thought it was worth a try as the prizes would be big enough for us to share. I usually end up buying the tickets as and when but on the day of this draw, I decided I was going to wait and buy all the tickets at once. I felt like doing something a bit different might bring us a bit of luck – and I was right!

“I checked the numbers on Friday night straight after the draw and I just couldn’t believe it. I asked my husband to triple check the ticket and as soon as I was sure it was true, I tried to call a few people to share the good news. Because it was late, no-one picked up, so I put it on the WhatsApp group instead. People were so excited and there were others, like me, who just couldn’t sleep so my phone was going off with messages throughout the night!”

Gullible Win

A week earlier, a mother from Cambridge scooped £1million on the EuroMillions after her partner suggested she was gullible for playing! Holly Saul, a 29-year-old, scooped the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker prize on October 1^st but insists she only won because of her father-in-law. A ping of her phone revealed a WhatsApp message from her husband’s father with a reminder to purchase a EuroMillions ticket. While Ben Lowther typed “I’m not gullible enough to play the lottery” to his father, Mrs Saul remained optimistic and when realising she had won, she poured herself a G&T and her other-half a Guinness!

he mother of two said: “We were both so shocked that I decided the only sensible option was to pour myself a G&T and Ben a Guinness, then we sat in the garden for an hour staring into space, looking at each other and giggling like children, then staring again before bursting into laughter once more. It was the most surreal and most wonderful time.

“I play the National Lottery from time to time, and I’m very happy I chose to on this occasion, the £1 million win is going to make a huge difference to our whole family, and what’s even better, I’ll forever tease Ben about his cheeky comment.”

Lottery’s Biggest Loser?

Lee Ryan, a British man, became a multi-millionaire in 1995 going from rags to £6.5million in riches overnight. Such a vast sum of money will inevitably alter one’s life, but the man who is now in his 60’s is describing his win as ‘Lotto Hell’. So, what happened? Just weeks after scooping the lottery jackpot, he found himself behind bars – jailed for 18-months for handling stolen cars, and he became the world’s first lottery winner to be sent to jail! Why on earth would anyone with that amount of money be involved in such a crim is beyond me!

Speaking to the media in 2014 the man claimed while in prison for stealing cars in 1986, he prayed to god to make him a millionaire. Nine-years later his prayers were answered, but he soon blew the money on a fast and lavish lifestyle for both himself and his then-girlfriend. Purchases included personalised number plates LEE 1, LEE 2, LEE 3 and LEE 4, a Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche and a BMW, shortly before splashing out on Ducati superbikes, a plane, a helicopter and more!

In 2003, he split from his girlfriend and went to London where he lost a further £2million in dodgy investments. His plan was to open a fish farm, but the local mafia were having none of it. In the meantime, he married his girlfriend but in 2010 she divorced him and at this point, Ryan was sleeping on the streets. It’s not all doom and gloom though! Ryan now works as a cameraman while renting out flats where he invites the homeless to stay for free!

Going for Broke

In 2002, Michael Carroll, a 19-year-old with a bit of a reputation for being a thug, landed £9.7million with just a £1 Lotto ticket, but his life now is very different to what it once was, going from a multi-millionaire to a broke binman! It took just 10-years to rid himself of his fortune, blowing it on a party lifestyle of drink and drugs but he insists it was the best 10-years of his life!

Becoming “The King of Chavs”, he splashed the cash on friends while landing himself in court no less than 30 times, and each time he would pull up in an expensive car or walking with a can of lager in his hand. At the time of his win, he instantly handed over £4million; a million to his mother, a million to be shared between his aunt and uncle, one million to his ex-wife and her mother.

In 2012, his money had dried up and so had his friends. He was barred from every pub within the area so he decides to move to Scotland for a fresh start, and he claims to be happy even though he’s broke.

Source: “Morriston Hospital Lottery Syndicate Win Six Figure Sum on EuroMillions”. Wales Online. October 23, 2021.