Kerala State Lotteries runs investment training session for winners

The training session also aims to help winners manage stress.

India.- The Kerala State Lotteries department is holding a training programme to educate lottery winners about how to make wise investments and manage the stress that comes with their newfound wealth. Today’s one-day session (April 12), covered topics such as financial management, taxation laws and safe investment options.

The course module was prepared by the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), Thiruvananthapuram. The Lotteries department has invited all the first prize winners from the 2022 Onam Bumper Lottery onwards to the training session. 

Abraham Renn, director of State Lotteries, said: “We will look at the response and see whether we can increase the frequency of the sessions.”

The state government felt the programme was necessary because many winners were unaware of how to invest large sums. There is also a lack of awareness of taxation, especially regarding cesses and surcharges, which had led to complaints from the winners.

The government also considered stress management to be important. It cited the example of a player who won the ₹25-crore Thiruvonam Bumper in 2022 and was inundated by people seeking financial assistance. Finance minister K. N. Balagopal will inaugurate the training session at the Mascot Hotel.