Hello World!
Welcome back to another Blog post from Free Play Lotto, your one stop solution to free mid-day afternoon entertainment! Today, we wanted to create some valuable tips the reader could take home with them, in the incredibly lucky event that they win the lottery!
Tuesday, we talked about how incredibly unlikely it is – statistically speaking…, to win the jackpot prize. However, people DO win…. So, if you were one of those lucky people, what should YOU do? Well first, let’s walk through the scenario together.
Envision it – you come home after a hard day’s work. You kick off your shoes at the door, and collapse onto your bed with a big sigh. You take out your phone and tiredly scroll the endless content reels on the various social media platforms – just trying to unwind, when you remember – the Powerball winning numbers came out last night. You remember you bought a ticket, so you go to check and see if you won. You’ve bought many tickets before, and know the odds at this point – expecting completely to see, just like every other time – not a single one of your numbers matching.
You go to check the first number, and it matches. Hey! A single match! You then check the second number, it matches as well! That’s awesome! You move to the third number, it matches as well. Woa… You’ve never had that many matches before… the hair on the back of your neck starts to rise. You check the fourth number and it matches. You freeze…whats going on..? You don’t dare move a muscle – you can hear your heart beating through your ears. You look at the fifth number…Match. You are shaking at this point, and your heart is beating so loudly inside your chest it nearly hurts. One number to go. Slowly and cautiously, you go to check the last number – the powerball. You check your ticket and then the winning number……Match. In disbelief you check the number sequences over and over and over again. You don’t believe your eyes at first, but after rechecking several times – it slowly sinks in. This can’t be real? You won? You won the jackpot!! YOU JUST WON THE JACKPOT!! Your body is visibly shaking and your blood is pumping like you’ve just ran a marathon. YOU WON!!! Then it sinks in…. What do you do?? What do you need to do now? How do you guarantee that you’ll receive the money?? Your anxiety is already at 11 and now you have to think and make a move – what do you do??? 
Pause….
What are your next steps..? Have you ever thought about it? Well, here’s what we found. Based on what our research could gather, it became clear that the majority of experts advised the following 5 main steps to any would-be lottery winner.
1. Keep it private……Don’t tell anyone just yet.
Amidst the rush of all the adrenaline and excitement, it’s easy to imagine someone wanting to shout from the mountain tops that they have won the lottery. But you immediately complicate things when you do. Because everyone knows what the lottery is, and how much money is at stake – broadcasting your winnings immediately puts you in an unsafe situation. We won’t act like human behavior is any surprise – people will flock to you. This could potentially put you in danger of someone wanting to take the ticket from you, or even harm you in the process. You bought the ticket in private, keep the winning in private as well, at least until everything is said and done.
Also, it is advised that you don’t immediately quit your job. This will draw unnecessary attention from co-workers and your employer. Wait until you have the money secured- then quit, if that is your desire.
2. Secure your ticket.
According to Forbes magazine, they advise that you put your ticket in a safety deposit box, or safe – immediately. Secure the ticket! Makes sense right? If this ticket is now worth millions of dollars – treat it like it! Make sure it’s safe and secure. Many experts also advise that you make copies of the ticket immediately. These copies would serve as backup should anything happen to the original ticket.
3. Take your time and plan.
Take a deep breath! It’s easy with the rush of excitement to make rash decisions. Take a breather and pause. Don’t rush any of your steps. You have a set amount of time to turn in your ticket to the regional lottery office, it doesn’t have to be immediately.
According to the Powerball website,
“Ticket expiration dates typically vary from 90 days to one year depending on the selling jurisdiction. The expiration date is often listed on the back of your ticket. If the expiration date is not listed, check with your lottery.”
So relax – you’ve got some time to think. Plan when you will make the drive to the regional lottery office to deposit the ticket, also prepare for finding a good solution for the next step – listed next
4. LEGAL ADVICE – Get thee to a lawyer!*
This step is ABSOLUTELY necessary. You NEED legal advice. With the amount of money that has just come your way, there are going to be A LOT of hands that will come into the picture, wanting a piece of the action – including the government.
You will need legal protection. And not just any lawyer, you want GOOD lawyer; one with substantial experience and reputation. Go to the nearest biggest city and find a renowned lawyer with an outstanding reputation. Yes they will be more expensive, but luckily for you – you can afford it, and the peace of mind will outweigh the expense. The very next step may be just as important as this one.
5. Get an experienced financial planner.
This step is just as important. The financial advisors – you will need a team of financial experts to help you manage your new nest egg. Look for financial advisors, accountants, and estate planners with EXPERIENCE managing large amounts of money. With the windfall of millions of dollars, – the responsibility of managing that money grows in complexity the larger the sum gets. The same rule of thumb used for acquiring a lawyer, apply here as well. Spare no expense at hiding good, reputable financial help.
Go claim your ticket!
Now that you’ve got your ducks in a row, go make the drive to the nearest regional lottery office and bring your lawyer. Your life will never be the same – Congratulations! Enjoy the new socio-economic class of living! Remember that you were lucky and consider giving to those less fortunate, sharing that same feeling that you experienced when you first found out you won!
The Future
The next phase of what to do when winning the lottery, is what you do with the money long term. We suggest that you take some time to plan out what you would prefer the next 15 to 20 years of your life to look like? Do you want to be in the same spot financially as you were in before you won the lottery? Or do you want to make the newfound money last as long as possible? Well, longevity – if you chose the latter, requires planning. Make your goals and then bring them to a professional, have them help you. Winning the lottery is a huge ordeal. So if any one of you wins the lottery – Make it a blessing, and not a curse, and make it last!
Well that’s all from your family friendly Free Play Lotto! Signing off, Have a great rest of the week and Good Luck! And Remember, with Free Play Lotto, you can’t lose, if you don’t pay!
Until Next Time,
– The Free Play Lotto Team!
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