SearchLotto Exposed — Exciting Way to Search the Internet!?
SearchLotto Review
Give me a second to stop laughing. It is rare to get into a site that provides this much amusement. Searchlotto.co.uk just did that! It’s a search engine that is offering free lottery tickets in syndicates for searches. They say the site is in its infancy, but it was launched in April 2010. How long does it take for a site to ‘grow up’?
Here’s why 24Lottos is way better than Search Lotto
Games at SearchLotto
The first thing you do is go online and create an account. Then, simply start using the Searchlotto.co.uk search engine. Once you have performed 25 searches, they will give you a share in a UK National Lottery syndicate. They say it contains 20 people, but – yes the big but – it doesn’t say how many tickets are in the syndicate. Getting into the FAQ, things started to get confusing. They say that players will get one ticket for every 25 “unique searches” completed up to four tickets a week, and then say the first 20 searches made each day qualify for this.
There is also an advertisement for EuroMillions but no explanation of how those lottery tickets fit into the scheme. Search Lotto also offers a free lotto ticket (not sure which draw) for installing their toolbar.
Search Lotto and Winning
Make sure you check your tickets. Search Lotto will only hold your winnings for thirty days after any draw. Funny, they say they do not keep the money themselves and give it to charities that they choose which are listed on their website – NOT. Search Lotto also says they “aim” to pay winners within seven working days.
Who Can Play at SearchLotto?
Digging into the Terms & Conditions didn’t take long. Keep in mind, players are being encouraged to use the search engine and not buy lottery tickets so it’s not complicated. But there was something a little strange – “the site is intended for use in the UK only” and players in other countries do so at their own risk. It wasn’t until we got into their FAQ that it actually states “only people in the UK can play”.
Third-Party Advertising Companies
Search Lotto clearly states that they use third-party advertising companies. This means companies may use information about your visits to different sites – to provide more ads about stuff to you. What gets weirder is there is an opt-out website people (note I did not say players) can go to that provides an explanation of how this all works and how to avoid this kind of collection of information.
Search Lotto and Facebook
Searchlotto.co.uk does use social media to update how they are operating and what they are offering. Their Facebook page is a ramble on changes in the terms and conditions of what they offer and whether any of their lottery numbers have won. The but – ya, you knew it was coming – for a company that is using lottery tickets to encourage people to use their search engine and that has been around for almost five years, they only have 2,606 likes. I guess people don’t like it!
Contacting Searchlotto.co.uk
Besides a snail mail address, Search Lotto can be contacted through an email address Monday to Friday and they will respond within 24 hours. They are a private company based in the UK. There is no online chat or support for their site. Given they are actually a search engine, I think this is a little strange.
Why You Should Register with Search Lotto
Pros:
Free Tickets
Why You Shouldn’t Register with Search Lotto
Cons:
It’s a Search Engine
UK Only
When Will It Grow Up?
Is Search Lotto Legit?
Sorry, I am still chuckling and couldn’t resist doing a few searches (no, I did not register) on their site to see how it operated. I can understand why a lot of people decided not to use it on a regular basis. Even with the incentive of free lottery tickets, I’ll stick to my usual search engines.
If you want to play lotteries, our team suggests that you stick to purchasing tickets through a trustworthy online lottery provider. Searchlotto gets a thumbs down.
Tina
Problem resolved
Company replied and I recieved my money.
Alastair
I fail to see why the review is so negative. I have not won anything big using SearchLotto, neither have I won anything big by buying tickets to the lotteries, but over a couple years I have won about £15. Ok, this is not a lot, but it is more than I would have got using one of the other search engines. I am not being sent emails from advertising connected to the SearchLotto site unlike other search sites where I am getting emails. As far as I can see, like one of the other comments, it’s a win win situation. Perhaps one day I’ll get a share of a big one.
Chris
Been using Searchlotto for many years and never had any problems and have had a few small wins. Don’t think I’ll become a millionaire, but it’s free so for little effort I’ll happily take the odd win.
Iisme
Been using search lotto for nearly a year. If you actually read the FAQs and t&c’s they’re quite clear about time and day limitations to searches, etc. Adhere to it and you yield a free entry. Granted a shared one but hey, it is free! Had quite a few small wins from this and they do pay really quickly. I’d be doing the searches anyway, so why no get a lotto ticket when I do them? Yes yahoo isn’t as “good” as other providers, yes, there’s ad’s (how else do you think they pay for the ticket?!?) However, you you don’t like the results? Repeat in your referred engine, cost you a total of 5 seconds and you get a share of a free ticket, win win 😉
Is Search Lotto a real syndicate?
I subscribe to Search Lotto and when I qualify for a lotto ticket I am sent my numbers. But we are told that every subscriber is in a syndicate of 20. I was in a Lotto syndicate (of 40) in the past, and we always received the numbers of all syndicate members. If anyone’s numbers won, we all got a fortieth share of the winnings. But Search Lotto doesn’t seem to work like this. You can only win if your own numbers win a prize, but you get one twentieth of the winnings. Who gets the other nineteen twentieths? Maybe it is the Search Lotto owners. We never get to see the other nineteen lotto entries (if they exist) nor do we get anything if any of the other nineteen entries wins. This does not seem to be a syndicate as it is generally understood.
Zhora
I don’t know how you can review Searchlotto with any sort of authority when you didn’t even bother to register and try it out properly?
I’ve been searching via SearchLotto for a few years now. The ‘biggest’ prize I’ve won so far is £1.25, which was my share of £25 between 20 syndicate members. Winnings were paid direct to me via paypal within 7 days.
My searches get both Eurolotto and Lotto lines, depending on when I clock my 25 searches.
For something that is absolutely free and where you don’t get spammed (the only emails you get are your lotto numbers and when you’ve won and when you get paid), you really can’t complain.
Of course, the chances of me getting rich from this are just the same as if I’d bought an actual lottery ticket myself. Except that this costs me absolutely nothing.