EuroMillions

• Next Estimated Jackpot EUR 17,000,000
• Europe
• 01/05/2021 19:45:00

EuroMillions launched on 7^th February 2004 and, despite its continental name, the original participants were only the UK, France and Spain. Since then it has grown, with Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland all joining on 8^th October 2004. Unlike some big-money lotteries - particularly in the US - EuroMillions prizes are tax-free for winners in most countries, and paid as a lump sum rather than as an annuity.

There are also special one-off Super Draws and Event Draws, with a guaranteed jackpot, usually of €100 million or more. Both are to celebrate landmark dates, public holidays or special occasions. Following a Super Draw, if the jackpot is not won, it will roll over to the following draw. In contrast, in an Event Draw, if nobody matches the 5+2 numbers needed to claim the jackpot, it is shared among the winners of the next prize tier down instead.

How to Play

A EuroMillions ticket costs €2.50 or £2.50, although different countries operate different compulsory and optional side games. For example, a UK EuroMillions ticket includes entry into the UK Millionaire Maker draw, accounting for the higher price after adjusting for exchange rates. France has the compulsory My Million game, which adds €0.50 to the ticket price, while in Ireland and Portugal a side game simply called Plus adds €1 to each line.

To play, choose five main numbers from 1-50, and two 'Lucky Stars' from 1-12. The balls are drawn from two separate pots, an increasingly popular option particularly in big-money lotteries. You can choose to have your numbers picked for you at random, as well as to buy into multiple future games at once - you can also designate which weeknight's draw you want to enter.

Draws take place in Paris twice a week, at 08:45 p.m. CET on Tuesdays and Fridays. Entry is restricted to over-18s in most countries, although under UK law you can buy a EuroMillions ticket from the age of 16. A portion of the proceeds is also held in Trust, to act as a guarantee against the risk of any one country being unable to pay out all of the prizes in any given draw in the future.

Fast Facts

10^th May 2011: Lucky Stars increased from nine to eleven. Second weekly draw added. New prize tier - two main balls and 0 lucky stars - added.

12^th January 2012: Jackpot capped at €190 million. If it is not won after two draws, prize money cascades down to the next prize tier.

EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir pledged to give their winnings to charity - triggering a spate of spam emails pretending to be from the lucky winners.

Trivia

EuroMillions is unusual for not technically having a 'weekend' draw - its Tuesday and Friday draws are both weeknights in the strictest sense, although many people will have finished work for the week when the second of the two takes place.

The maximum jackpot of €190 million has been won several times, including August 10^th 2012, when one ticket scooped the full amount - the winners were UK couple Adrian and Gillian Bayford. On October 24^th 2014 a single Portuguese ticket won the full amount, and three further jackpots over €180 million have been claimed over the years too.

Under current UK rules, 50% of total ticket revenues go towards the prize fund. Only 28% goes to support National Lottery Good Causes, with 12% taken by the government in Lottery Duty, 5% paid to retailers as commission, 4.5% covering operating costs, and 0.5% taken as profit by operators Camelot.

Prize Tiers