Workplace Lottery Pool Contract...Previous TopicNext Topic

Hello everyone...

I am putting together a lottery pool at my workplace per a request of some employees. Does anyone have a contract already wrote up that i can modify for our pool? Were looking to play the PowerBall and Mega Millions.

Thank you for your time.

Cutla$$Bob

I would also like a copy of one if someone it.  We just started one last week because the PB is so high, but I am thinking there is a good core group of 7-8 that wants to play regularly.

Just as important as a good contract is your correspondence with all players and potential players. Try to get everything in writing which is very hard with an office pool.

I work in a home office now and find running a "office pool" now is much easier because all correspondence has to be by email. Now I have an audit trail of every conversation. Before, when I worked in a regular office, there would be a lot of casual conversations about the office pool. Some people would indicate they wanted in but took no steps to verify or pay. They were the ones I worried about. Now, I do not have to worry about them. Even now, if I have a conversation with someone over the phone about the lottery pool, I follow-up with an email clearly stating whether they were in or out.

Good luck with your pool.

I know where to get one but can't post the link here. :(

Google it! "Lottery Pool Agreement"

There's some on Youtube. We make copies of the tickets with names and how much they played on them, then hand out copies. I would think a real contract would have to be notorized or made by a lawyer. Not sure.

dunno about where you live but they have " syndicate share " tickets here

http://www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au/games/syndicates

Create your own syndicate

Creating your own syndicate is a great way to share in the excitement with friends and family.

1. Collect money from your family, friends and colleagues and record their name and the amount they've contributed on a syndicate form.
2. Go to your local Lotterywest retailer and fill out the relevant game playslip or ask them for a slikpik.
3. Let your retailer know how many share tickets you need. Your Lotterywest retailer will then print a share ticket for each syndicate member.
4. Each member of the syndicate can claim any wins from their individual share ticket.

meaning that you can print a ticket out for ea member of the syndicate, that when scanned and claimed wull pay the bearer 1 share of the  payout.

ie if theres 10 tickets and you win $200, then ea member takes their own ticket in and collects $20 themselves.

plus you can only get the number of tickets printed that are actually needed, say 10 people agree but only 8 people actually fess up the cash.  no need to case up  anyone for their money after.

Thanks for your suggestions.  What I have done currently is to send emails to everyone advertising the pool and there is a 11x14 envelope in my office that everyone can access and they are to put money in and sign their name to the envelope and the amount put in, even though it's only $2.  Then before the drawings I go purchase the tickets, scan them in and email them to the participants.  I'm not chasing anyone down (yet) for money to be in the pool.  My other concern is with a contract that I am going to be asking people for money.

We don't have the lottery syndicates here.  Sounds like a neat idea though.  Thanks for sharing!

"I would think a real contract would have to be notorized or made by a lawyer. Not sure."

If you  have a conversation and agree to do something it's a real contract, though you may have a hard time proving to the court what the terms of the contract are. Putting things in writing and having each signature witnessed helps prove what the agreement is and that everyone really signed it, and a notary is a better witness than another member of the pool. Proving who signed it and what it says may not be very useful if it doesn't say the right things. What it says is much more important than who wrote it.

" there is a 11x14 envelope in my office that everyone can access and they are to put money in and sign their name to the envelope"

Are you actually hoping to have a lawsuit if you win? If I understand you correctly, you're telling us that you want to run a pool strictly on the honor sytem. That's not a 100% guarantee of failure, but it's an awfully good recipe.

" My other concern is with a contract that I am going to be asking people for money."

As above, whether it's written or not, you have a contract. Whether you hound people or not, you are asking people for money. What matters is who's in and what the rules are, and how easily you can prove it if need be.

Other details may have been disputed in past cases, but the big issue with lottery pools is who's a member and who's not a member. If I was running a pool I wouldn't even consider allowing people to play irregulalrly. It would have to be a fixed group, and everyone would have to pay far enough in advance to allow for a certified letter telling them they've been dropped if they were thrown out for some reason.

Workplace lottery pool don't have trouble from players who sign a contract and pay their money but from those who don't.  If the pool wins big, some of those co-workers who didn't play may think since it was a workplace lottery pool some one should have asked them to play, covered them or in some case not be so greedy as not to share the winnings with everyone.

We just started a lottery pool at work because of the big Powerball. I don't know if it'll continue, now that the jackpot's been won, but it's being run pretty well. Everything is done by email and we recieve copies of the tickets the day of or day before the draw. After one draw we won a small amount that wasn't big enough to split, and decided to re-invest in the next drawing.

A couple of us wanted to add in another $2 for more tickets, so the person running the pool started a separate pool from those who didn't feel like playing again. We won another small amount and will probably re-invest again. It's only $40m now, but there are fewer players in this second pool! Though, I bet if we were to win, people from the larger group would try to make some sort of claim.

Just some thoughts here. Be sure to add sections to address legal issues you have seen pop of with other group winners.

1.) When it the money due for each member to be in the pool? "If your money is not in my hands by 5 PM on the the date of the lottery, then you are not in the group for that drawing. Identify the point of contact and one alternate for all transactions.

2.) Do you want to assume someone "wanted" to be in the pool  if they are out ?  Probably not.  Creates too many issues.

3.) Can other members extend "credit" for members (a proxy $2 for Ms. Smith) if they are out, etc? (probably should not do this).

4.) Past particaption in prior group lotteries is not assumed for the next drawing if I do not have your money by X time. (can't hurt to repeat this).

5.) Share?--does giving $4 vs $2 give me 2 shares?

Bob....our group keeps it simple....you bring your ticket(initials on the back someplace) and turn it into one person to hold that everybody trusts(in our case who volunteers for record/secretary duties). That person then makes a copy of all the tickets(front and back if you want) and distributes the copy to each member of the group.The holder for the group can put the persons name beside the ticket (that he/she brought in) on the copy sheet..... You don't bring in a ticket, then you dont get to participate. Left it at home or forgot doesnt count. Any winnings that we can collect on at a local store under...lets  say $20-$40 goes towards purchasing extra tickets for the next jackpot.Over the $40 ???  we will split..Under the max thats allowed to be collected at a local store( in FL its $600) we split equally. Over $600 ?, we all make "the trip and fill out the  forms" even if its just $1000.00... has worked so far, but we have a small group and trust/equal sharing is the standard.