>>>Isn't it that you pay close to 50% in taxes?
>>>
>>>>One possibility is that there was another winning ticket.
>>>>
>>>>Another possibility is that the winning amount is described as the total amount of a series of payments (usually over 20-30 years depending on the particular lottery). You have an option on getting either the annuity or cash value.
>>
>>Hadn't thought of that, but you may be right. Now that I think about it, they do have to pay taxes on lottery winnings, don't they.
>
>I'm not sure they have to in GB. Every so oftren I get 3 nos. (I don't buy tickets very often), for which the pay-out is £10. I've never been charged tax on this, and I've ready nowhere that you do.

No tax on winnings in Canada - lottery, casino, horse racing etc.