Interest is mounting over who the winners of a lotto syndicate – believed to be from Donegal – are who scooped an €8 million jackpot, which has not been paid out.
Mystery still surrounds the reason why Lotto chiefs have failed to pay out the money to the group of 14 men, understood to be from Donegal, who travelled to Sligo for a stag party on the weekend of the March 5 draw. However, it is thought a dispute may have arisen over the winning ticket and investigations are being carried out in order to have the matter resolved quickly.
The winning €20 Normal Play ticket was snapped up at the XL Stop and Shop on Stephen Street in Sligo. The winning numbers were 2, 8, 16, 24, 33, 42 and the bonus number was 47.
It is believed the group spent hours wining and dining at the town’s bars and restaurants before purchasing the winning ticket on a Saturday afternoon.
The group are believed to have stayed at the high-end Glasshouse Hotel and found out about the win while wining and dinning at the hotel’s restaurant.
However, nine weeks after the win, the money has still not been handed over. Lotto bosses are remaining tight-lipped over a legal dispute with the ‘winner’ of the € 8.24 million jackpot fortune.
On Wednesday, Lottery chiefs issued a statement confirming the money has not been collected but refused to say why.
“The National Lottery never comments on the specifics of the claims procedure to protect both the privacy of the claimant and the security of the National Lottery’s claims process.
“As is standard practice, any claimant has 90 days in which to claim their prize and we are continuing to engage with the ticket holder.”
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