EURO 2024 office sweepstake entrants could be breaking the law if they make very simple mistakes.
With this year’s UEFA European Championship beginning in just days, sweepstakes will be enjoyed all across the continent.
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Euro 2024 will kick off on Friday when hosts Germany take on Scotland in Munich, and then it’ll end in Berlin exactly one month later when 24 teams will have been whittled down to two to contest the final.
Many office sweepstakes will be set up by workers getting behind each of the European nations involved.
Sweepstakes are a type of lottery, which means customers pay to enter and gain the chance to win a prize based on chance.
If you’ve played before you will know that you typically pick names at random out of a hat.
Each player is hoping their assigned team will make it all the way to the end of the tournament as champions to take a prize, which is usually a pot of money raised by all players.
But while many of us have taken part in sweepstakes in the past, it’s likely you have never given a single thought to whether it is legal.
In fact, setting up an illegal lottery could land you in hot water, resulting in 51 weeks in prison or a £5,000 fine.
Ahead of all the excitement, solicitors Poppleston Allen have revealed the rules you should be aware of to ensure you are fully compliant while running the wager.
The law for what is allowed is governed by the Gambling Act 2005, with the Gambling Commission publishing guidance on the regulations surrounding fundraising, raffles and lotteries.
In the new post-pandemic world of work, remote working employees who enter your sweepstake could be breaking the law.
The draw must be done physically at the business premises – which means if you’re working from home, you can’t participate unless you go into the office to partake in the draw.
All players must also work at the same physical offices – so that means the London office can’t participate in the Manchester office’s draw, for example.
You cannot run sweepstakes across multiple offices, say the legal experts.
Proceeds can be used for charitable purposes, or given to participants as prizes.
The promotion/customer lottery must only be advertised on work premises, not online.
Likewise, the lottery must only be promoted by those working in a single set of offices.
There must be a winner, as monies cannot be rolled over to another game and participants must pay the same price for each ticket.
It is also important to note that the rights attached to the ticket cannot be passed on to another person once purchased.
Organisers can deduct reasonable expenses from the proceeds to cover the cost of prizes and tickets.
A Poppleston Allen spokesperson said: “Ultimately, it is a criminal offence to run an illegal lottery and you could face prosecution.
“The maximum punishment for breaches is 51 weeks in prison or a £5,000 fine.
“However, the rules are straightforward and easy to follow. But if you’re unsure of a situation regarding office sweepstakes, please feel free to contact any of the Poppleston Allen licensing solicitors – and may your chosen team make it to the final!”
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England take on Serbia at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen in western Germany this Sunday.
But while it will be the chance for Gareth Southgate’s men to lay down a marker as one of the favourites to win the Euros, the match could be the centre of hooliganism for many fans.
Their opening clash with Serbia has been identified as one of the four “high-risk” matches in the group stages of the tournament this season.
Following the Covid pandemic and the winter Qatar World Cup, this tournament presents the first chance for a new generation of supporters to follow England at a major tournament.
Approximately 1,600 known troublemakers were forced to surrender their passports for the duration of Euro 2024.
However, there is a real and genuine threat of rival fans wanting to confront their English counterparts in Germany – especially by the Serbians.
Serbian hooligans have built a reputation as some of the most violent football fans in the whole world.
Gareth Southgate will take the handbrake off at Euro 2024… because he has no choice
By Charlie Wyett
GARETH SOUTHGATE will have no choice but to take the handbrake off his England team at Euro 2024.
The defensive crisis gripping the Three Lions means the only option in Germany, within reason, will be outright attack.
Southgate has often been lambasted for his safety-first approach — even if he points out you must go back to Walter Winterbottom’s sides in the 1950s to find an England manager with a better scoring record.
But with the crocked Harry Maguire left out, Luke Shaw not fit enough to start the tournament and John Stones having made just 12 Premier League starts this season, this is not a defence you would stake your life on.
The last time England went to a major tournament in Germany — the 2006 World Cup — the four centre-backs selected were Sol Campbell (68 caps), Rio Ferdinand (47), Jamie Carragher (25) and John Terry (24).
This time, when England fly out on Monday, the quartet will be Lewis Dunk (six), Joe Gomez (14), Marc Guehi (ten) and Ezri Konsa (three).
It makes Southgate’s decision not to recall the 49-cap Eric Dier for his provisional squad even stranger — especially considering his strong end to the season with Bayern Munich.
The elder statesman in his defence — and the one who absolutely has to stay fit — is 71-cap Stones.
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