EuroMillions

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Participating countries in EuroMillions   original countries (February 2004)   other countries (October 2004)
Region	United Kingdom, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland
Website	euromillions.eu

EuroMillions^[a] is a transnational lottery that requires seven correct numbers to win the jackpot, which consists of 5 main numbers and 2 Lucky Star Numbers. It was launched on 7 February 2004 by France's Française des Jeux, Spain's Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and the United Kingdom's Camelot. The first draw was held on 13 February 2004^[1] in Paris.^[2] Initially, only the UK, France and Spain participated, with the Austrian, Belgian, Irish, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and Swiss lotteries joining for the 8 October 2004 draw.

Draws are held every Tuesday and Friday night at 21:00 CET in Paris. A standard EuroMillions ticket costs €2.50, £2.50 or CHF3.50 per line played, but this depends on the local currency. The draw machines are manufactured by French manufacturer Ryo Catteau, with the main number machine using their Stresa model, whilst the Lucky Star Number machine uses their Paquerette model.

Ireland has an exclusive option called Plus, which adds €1.00 per line. As of February 2014, a non-optional addition called "My Million" in France adds €0.50 per line, while in Portugal it is called "M1lhão" and represents €0.30 of the whole €2.50 bet.

The cost of playing in the UK increased from £1.50 to £2.00 per line on 7 November 2009, due to the EUR/GBP exchange rate and automatic entry into its Millionaire Raffle. On 24 September 2016, the cost per line increased from £2.00 to £2.50 in the UK. On the same day, in Ireland and Spain it rose to €2.50 per line.

From 24 September 2016, the number of lucky stars changed from a pool of 11 to a pool of 12 numbers, decreasing the jackpot-winning odds from 1:117million to 1:140million.

All prizes, including the jackpot, are tax-free (except in Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, since 2013) and are paid as a lump sum.

Play

• The player selects five main numbers which can be any number from 1 to 50.
• The player selects two different lucky star numbers from a pool of 12 numbers.

Draws take place at 20:45 every Tuesday and Friday in Paris. The results are published shortly after the draw on associated and independent websites around 20:45 UTC.^[3]

To participate in the EuroMillions Lotto, tickets can be purchased from many outlets, namely at licensed stores and online websites.

The gameplay changed on Tuesday, 10 May 2011 with a second weekly draw and the number of "lucky stars" in the Paquerette machine increasing from 9 to 11. A prize for matching two main numbers and no lucky stars was also introduced on the same date.

On Saturday, 24 September 2016, the number of "lucky stars" increased again, from 11 to 12.

Eligibility

The game is currently available to players in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France (including overseas regions and collectivities), Ireland, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.^{[4][better source needed]}

Entrants must be at least 18 years old. There is no restriction on the nationality of buyers; non-residents are eligible to participate as long as they meet the age requirement.^[5]

Prize structure

The prize structure as of Tuesday, 4 February 2020 is as follows:

The Prize Guarantee Fund is available to contribute to the jackpot, for example, to boost the initial jackpot in a sequence of growing jackpots. The amount utilized each week is determined in advance by the participating lotteries.

• (a) per entry
• (b) prize fund = 50% of sales main draw
• (b) sales main draw = €2.20 in pounds sterling per entry (exchange rate!) times number of entries
• (X) draw 1 to 5: 50% + 10% & draw 6 (or higher): 42% + 18%
• (c) expected winnings are based on the currency exchange rate as at 7 December 2019, 1 euro = 0.8419 pound, rounded to 1 pound
• The odds of winning any prize at all are 1 in 13
• The odds of getting none of the 50 main balls but getting both lucky stars is approximately 1 in 115. This means that it is less likely than getting 2 main balls and one lucky star (1 in 49). However, there is no prize for only getting 2 lucky stars.
• The figures for the estimated prize are just a guide, and the actual amount varies according to the total in the prize fund and the number of winners for each prize. (Estimated prizes as per reverse of UK payslip)
• If the Jackpot is not won, it rolls over to the next draw.

Effective 7 November 2009 new rules were put in place regarding rollovers:

• The new rules introduced a Jackpot Pool Cap. Once the jackpot reached €185,000,000, the Jackpot will remain at €185,000,000 and any additional prize money rolled over would be added to the jackpot pool for the next lower prize level containing at least one winner (5 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star or possibly even just five main numbers).
• After the capped jackpot is reached, either won or rolled down, the next capped jackpot cap would increase by £5million.

A new rule change of 12 January 2012 locked the Jackpot cap at €190,000,000 permanently and if the jackpot was not won after two draws, the prize money would be distributed among the winners at the next level. A new rule change of 24 September 2016 stated that if the jackpot is not won five draws after it reaches €190,000,000, the prize money will be distributed among the winners at the next level. The minimum jackpot prize increased from 15m euros to 17m euros.

In February 2020, the rules regarding the EuroMillions jackpot changed again. The new cap was set at €200,000,000, but that would no longer be fixed. If the jackpot gets to this amount, the cycle can last for five draws. If there are no winners in the fifth draw, the jackpot is paid out to the lower tier. For the next cycle, the maximum jackpot is set to €210,000,000, and is again paid out to the lower tier if there is no winner. In subsequent cycles, the maximum jackpot is raised to 220, 230, 240 and finally 250 million euros. The latest maximum jackpot, €240m, was reached on 8 December 2023.

EuroMillions Trust

The participating national lotteries in the EuroMillions game have each established a EuroMillions Trust account. This is used for the settlement of all amounts due, and for holding amounts in respect of future prizes. This trust arrangement protects the participating lotteries between them from a default from one of the national companies, and ultimately the players' interests.

Super Draws and Event Draws

Super Draws and Event Draws are special drawings when the Jackpot is set to a guaranteed amount – often €100,000,000. The difference is that a Super Draw jackpot will roll over to the next drawing if not won, but an Event Draw jackpot will be distributed among the winners in the next lower tier (i.e. match 5 + 1). Until now, jackpots^[7] in a Super Draw have rolled over to the next drawing if not won.

The first Super Draw of 2011 took place on Tuesday 10 May to mark the introduction of the second weekly Euromillions draw and changes to the game format (11 lucky stars instead of 9 and a new "match 2 main numbers and no lucky stars" prize tier).

The first Super Draw of 2016 took place on Friday 30 September to introduce the change to the game format (12 lucky stars instead of 11 and increased price).

Event Draws have been held to date on

• 9 February 2007 (€100 million);
• 28 September 2007 (€130 million);
• 8 February 2008 (€130 million);
• 26 September 2008 (€130 million).

Super Draws have been held to date on

• 6 March 2009 (€100 million);
• 18 September 2009 (€100 million);
• 5 February 2010 (€100 million);
• 1 October 2010 (€100 million);
• 10 May 2011 (€100 million);
• 4 October 2011 (€100 million);
• 28 September 2012 (€100 million);
• 22 March 2013 (€100 million);
• 7 June 2013 (€100 million);
• 15 November 2013 (€100 million);
• 7 March 2014 (€100 million);
• 3 October 2014 (€100 million);
• 6 March 2015 (€100 million);
• 5 June 2015 (€100 million);
• 6 November 2015 (€100 million);
• 30 September 2016 (€130 million);
• 30 June 2017 (€100 million);
• 15 September 2017 (€130 million);
• 20 April 2018 (€130 million);
• 21 September 2018 (€130 million);
• 1 February 2019 (€120 million);
• 7 June 2019 (€130 million);
• 7 February 2020 (€130 million);
• 3 July 2020 (€130 million);
• 25 September 2020 (€130 million);
• 20 November 2020 (€130 million);
• 5 February 2021 (€130 million);
• 4 June 2021 (€130 million);
• 24 September 2021 (€130 million).
• 4 February 2022 (€130 million).
• 17 June 2022 (€130 million).
• 9 September 2022 (€130 million).
• 2 December 2022 (€130 million).
• 3 March 2023 (€130 million).
• 2 June 2023 (€130 million).
• 29 September 2023 (€130 million).
• 1 December 2023 (€200 million).

A €100,000,000 Super draw was planned for 6 June 2014 but was cancelled when the jackpot rolled over to €105,000,000.^[8] This also happened for the superdraw that was planned for Friday 29 April 2022.^[9]

This is a change to the game rules^[10] as of 4 April 2011 when the Event Draw was added.

Largest Jackpots

• AJ: Announced Jackpot (Super Draw)
• RO2: Roll over in the 2nd Prize Category
• Dy: y is the number of Draws from starting the minimum Jackpot (roll-ups)

Notable wins

The first huge jackpot of over €115.4 million was won by Irish lady Dolores McNamara on 29 July 2005. On 3 February 2006, three winners shared the record jackpot of €183 million after the first rank was eleven draws vacant. Two French people and one Portuguese received €61,191,026 each. In order to limit the jackpot from growing higher, the rules of the game in the period from 2006 to 2009 stipulated that after the twelfth draw without a winner before the jackpot amount would be rolled down and shared between the winners in the next prize tier. This happened for the first time on 17 November 2006, after over €183 million had accumulated in the jackpot. The sum was shared between the winners of the second rank (there were 20 winners of €9.6 million each). The first highest jackpot with €190 million was won by the Bayford couple from England on 10 August 2012, and they received "only" £148.6 million because of the strength of the pound. The €185 million (£161.6 million) jackpot that was won by the Weir couple from Scotland on 12 July 2011 was considered to be the highest jackpot in the UK until Peter Wilson's win on the 8 October 2019.

A jackpot of nearly €175.5 million was won by a family syndicate of 8 siblings (7 alive and one who had passed away but whose family were still included in the winnings) who were from Naul in North County Dublin on 19 February 2019.

A jackpot of €190 million (£170.2 million) was won by a single ticket holder in the UK bearing the winning numbers - 7,10,15,44,49 and the lucky numbers 3,12.

The highest jackpot ever won in the UK, and second highest jackpot to date, was £195,707,000 (€230,300,000), on 19 July 2022. The winning numbers were 6,23,27,40,21 and the lucky numbers - 2,12.^[11]

Distribution of revenue

In the UK, the total EuroMillions revenue is broken down as follows:^{[citation needed]}

Email scams making use of EuroMillions brand name

Chris and Colin Weir won the EuroMillions and pledged to donate their prize money to good causes.^[12] However, cybercriminals started using their names in their email scams to fool the general public and ultimately cheat them of money.^[13]

EuroMillions Plus (Ireland only)

In June 2007, the Irish National Lottery introduced "Plus," an add-on to the main EuroMillions game available only to Irish players. For an extra €1 per line, players can enter their five main EuroMillions numbers in an additional draw for a fixed, non-rolling jackpot of €500,000. Players can also win fixed prizes of €2,000 for a Match-4 and €20 for a Match-3. The odds of winning the Plus jackpot are 1 in 2,118,760.^[14]

UK Millionaire Maker

Since November 2009 at least one UK player every week has won a guaranteed £1,000,000. With the introduction of the Tuesday EuroMillions Draw on Tuesday 10 May 2011 there were 2 Millionaire Raffle winners each week. Changes to Euromillions in September 2016 meant that two guaranteed Millionaire Raffle winners were made per draw, or 4 per week across the two draws.

According to the Euromillions website, the chances of winning the UK Millionaire Maker game^[15] on a Tuesday can be estimated as 1 in 3,570,000 with a standard £14m jackpot.^[16] On a Friday, it can be calculated as approximately 1 in 5,080,000 - again with a baseline £14m jackpot.^[17] Winning in this game depends entirely on the number of the payslips sold so the odds fluctuate. The odds may also fluctuate during a super draw or a special event in the UK Millionaire Raffle.

Prices per line in the UK increased by 50p to £2.00. The 50p was added due to weak exchange rates between the pound and the euro and to cover the expense of the new Millionaire Maker. On 24 September 2016 the price per line in the UK was increased by an additional 50p to £2.50.

In January 2019, the number of guaranteed winners in the UK Millionaire Maker game reverted to one.

Notes

See also

• Eurojackpot - a similar transnational lottery in Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
• Vikinglotto - a similar transnational lottery in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia and Belgium.

References

External links

• Official website