Laois winnings from Prize Bonds revealed

Laois residents are among the luckiest holders of Prize Bonds, having won more than €320,000 in prizes last year.

The Prize Bond Company DAC, which administers Prize Bonds on behalf of the National Treasury Management Agency, says Laois’ total winnings were €322,100, with 2,304 prizes won in the county.

A Prize Bonds customer can win a €1 million prize on the last draw of June and December, while a top prize of €50,000 is awarded in every other weekly draw. Other cash prizes awarded each week include prizes to the value of €1,000, €500 and €50.

Prize Bonds sales in 2018 contributed to an almost 8.0% increase in the overall value of the fund to over €3.4 billion, the highest in the 61-year history of the Prize Bonds scheme. The year was also a milestone for the Prize Bond Company itself which marks 30 years since it first began the Prize Bonds operation in 1989.

Some 4,600 prizes are issued weekly, and the number of prizes awarded in 2018 totalled 224,474 (2017: 302,064), while the value of prizes amounted to €16.4 million (2017: €21.3 million).

At the end of 2018, unclaimed prizes accumulated since the launch of the product in 1957 amounted to €2.74 million, which represents a small portion of the value of prizes awarded since the launch of the scheme. Unclaimed prizes are held indefinitely until claimed by a bondholder and every prize winner is contacted at the address last registered with the Prize Bond Company.

Full details of all prizes are included in a database listed on www.StateSavings.ie for customers to check.