If you’re new to playing EuroMillions Lottery you could have a lot of questions about the game. Commonly asked questions include how often do draws take place and when do ticket sales close. Is there a cap on the jackpot and how many winning combinations do you need to match to strike gold?
Popular for its big (and we’re talking BIG!) jackpots, EuroMillions is a European-based lottery game that can be played at authorized brick-and-mortar retailers or online. It’s lucrative, exciting, and prestigious, making it one of the most attractive lottery games worldwide.
Keep reading if you’re a beginner to EuroMillions and find out everything you need to know about this glamorous lottery game that offers HUGE prizes! Our 6 steps could be all you need to win the jackpot of your dreams!
Contents
What You Should Know About The EuroMillions Lottery
Where You Can Play EuroMillions Lottery
You can only play EuroMillions if you’re located in one of the participating countries. However, don’t despair if you’re on the other side of the globe! EuroMillions can be played worldwide, using reputable online lottery sites such as TheLotter which offers over 40 other lotteries for avid players to dabble in!
* Recommended sites to buy your first EuroMillions tickets:
Once you’ve registered your account with an online site, you can purchase tickets for EuroMillions draws. A lottery representative will purchase the ticket on your behalf and submit it for the draws. Most online lottery websites pay winnings directly into your account but always check the payout rules beforehand to be sure.
Tickets can be purchased on The National Lottery app between 6 am and 11 pm every day if you’re physically located in the country you’re playing. On draw days, ticket sales close at 7.30 pm. You can play EuroMillions Lottery at licensed physical retailers in participating countries.
You don’t need to be an EU citizen or resident to play this exciting lottery game. If you’re visiting one of the participating nations, you can play EuroMillions. But, you need to be physically present in the country you purchased your tickets in if you want to claim your prize money.
Age to Play EuroMillions Lottery
No matter where you play EuroMillions you have to be 18 years old or older to purchase tickets. This rule applies worldwide to all lottery players purchasing EuroMillions tickets.
Odds of Winning the EuroMillions Lottery
EuroMillions offers 13 different winning combinations with the prize money amount being calculated by the number of tickets bought for a draw. There is a cap of €240 million on the jackpot amount though and special rules kick in if you win the main prize.
Winning the jackpot requires you to match five numbers plus two stars but the odds of getting the windfall are fixed at 1 in 139,838,160 (to be precise!) Your chances of winning a prize do improve for the smaller winning combinations as the table demonstrates below.
Tier | Odds |
---|---|
1st tier | 1: 6,991,908 |
2nd tier | 1: 3,107,515 |
3rd tier | 1: 621,503 |
4th tier | 1: 31,076 |
5th tier | 1: 14,126 |
6th tier | 1: 13,812 |
7th tier | 1: 986 |
8th tier | 1: 707 |
9th tier | 1: 314 |
10th tier | 1: 188 |
11th tier | 1: 50 |
12th tier | 1: 22 |
Which Countries Participate in EuroMillions Lottery
Launched in February 2004, in France, Spain, and the UK, the game now includes the following six participating countries:
- Belgium
- Austria
- Luxembourg
- Ireland
- Switzerland
- Portugal.
What is The EuroMillions Millionaire Maker?
Players buying tickets for the UK EuroMillions are automatically entered into the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker raffle. This supplementary game is only valid in the United Kingdom. Winners of this draw are guaranteed a win of €1 million.
Millionaire Maker codes are generated according to the numbers picked per line on Euromillions tickets. Made up of four letters and five numbers, each code is automatically submitted into a raffle. One code is randomly picked at a standard draw for the winning prize and a win is guaranteed every time.
Price of Tickets
The price of EuroMillions tickets varies depending on where you purchase them. UK EuroMillions lottery players pay £2.50 per single line of numbers purchased. For the rest of Europe, ticket prices are €2.50 per line.
However, if you buy your tickets in Austria, you’ll pay €2.20 per line plus an additional €1.30 if they want to be entered into Austria Joker. In Switzerland, ticket prices are CHF3.50 per single selection with CHF0.50 going towards the country’s supplementary game known as Swiss Win.
When Draws Take Place
EuroMillions draws take place every Tuesday and Friday with the time of the draw depending on the different time zones across Europe. Draws take place in Paris at 9 pm which also means players in other countries have varying deadlines for buying tickets.
The Biggest Jackpot Ever Won on EuroMillions Lottery
The biggest EuroMillions jackpot ever won was £195 million drawn in July 2022. Won by a single UK ticketholder, the total winning amount was £195,707,000. A few months before, in May 2022, the second highest EuroMillions jackpot of £184 million was won.
6 Steps on How to Play EuroMillions Lottery
1. Choose How to Play EuroMillions
You can choose to play in-store if you’re physically located in the vicinity of a licensed retailer. Otherwise, you can play after registering on the National Lottery app but you need to reside in the country you’re purchasing the tickets.
Another option is to choose a licensed and regulated online lottery platform such as LottoAgent which allows you to play EuroMillions from anywhere in the world. The sign-up process is straightforward by clicking on the Register button located on the top right-hand side of your screen.
Follow the instructions to fill in the online form and before you know it, you’re all set to play EuroMillions!
2. Choose Which Draws to Play
Draws take place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays and you can play on both days if you want to increase your odds of hitting the jackpot! It’s important to buy your tickets before the draw deadline which varies depending on your location. Online ticket sales deadlines are often a few hours before the draw.
3. Pick 7 Numbers from Two Pools
When playing EuroMillions you need to pick 7 numbers from two pools. You can select your own lucky numbers or use the Quick Pick or Lucky Dip facilities. Five numbers are picked from between 1 to 50 and the two Lucky Star numbers are from between 1 to 12. The numbers can be in any order.
4. Decide How Many Lines and Payslips You Want
EuroMillions lottery players have the option of picking from 7 lines per ticket and up to 10 payslips at a time.
5. Purchase Your Ticket
Tickets purchased at a brick-and-mortar licensed store are paid directly to the retailer. If you’re purchasing online using the official National Lottery app, click on the Purchase button and pay for your ticket. Online lottery websites will guide you through the process of purchasing your tickets.
6. Wait for Results
Live broadcasts of the draws used to be shown on TV but this isn’t the case anymore. However, you can watch live drawings on the National Lottery website or YouTube channel. Winning numbers are posted on the official National Lottery site.
Otherwise, you can wait for the EuroMillions results to be uploaded onto the online lottery site from which you purchased your tickets. If you purchased your ticket online and you’ve won a prize, an email will be sent to you.
How Long Does It Take to Get EuroMillions Winnings?
Your claim process for Euromillions depends on the amount you’ve won.
Prize | Claim process |
---|---|
Small prizes less than £50,000 | Collect from authorized retailers |
Winning over £50,000 | Set up a meeting with National Lottery advisors |
It takes up to two days for your claim to be validated before it’s transferred into your bank account. In some participating countries, it can take up to four weeks before your winnings are paid.
How Long Do I Have to Claim My EuroMillions Prize?
Winnings must be claimed within a certain period and the timeline depends on where players live:
Location | Max time allowed for claims |
---|---|
UK | 180 days after draw |
Austria | 3 years after draw |
Belgium | 20 weeks after draw |
France, Luxembourg | 2 months after draw |
Portugal, Spain, Ireland | 3 months after draw |
Switzerland | 26 weeks after draw |
Tips on How to Win the EuroMillions Lottery
Newcomers to the game can use a number of strategies adopted by avid lottery players hoping to win the jackpot of their dreams. From using prayers to win the lottery to experimenting with different lotto software and prediction tools, beginners can benefit from these tips below as well.
Choose Odd and Even Numbers
No pot of gold has ever been won with only odd or even numbers! Tips and tricks to win the lottery jackpot include picking a combination of odd and even numbers. This increases your chances of winning the main prize especially if you go with a mixture of high and low numbers as well.
Create Number Combinations
Creating number combinations is another way of winning the EuroMillions jackpot. The lottery wheeling system is one way of turning your favorite lucky numbers into scientifically determined combinations. Using a mathematical-based strategy, this technique gives you good coverage of all possible combinations that even let you win from multiple tiers.
Consider Using the Law of Attraction
Tapping into the universal energies is a technique often used by lotto winners! Knowing how to win the lottery with the law of attraction is a powerful strategy for increasing your odds of winning the next EuroMillions draw. People use the law of attraction to help them manifest their dreams and this same principle can be applied when playing the lottery.
Buy Tickets For Every Draw
Buying tickets for every draw doubles up your chances of winning the mind-boggling jackpot every lotto player has their eyes on! Playing EuroMillions every Tuesday and Friday is an effective strategy used by keen lottery players who are serious about being winners. Buying multiple tickets for every draw also ups your odds instantly!
Final Thoughts
With over 80 to 100 million players buying tickets for EuroMillions weekly, winning the jackpot seems like an impossible dream. But, there are always reasons why people play the lottery including becoming a millionaire one day! Winning the EuroMillions is a goal every lottery player wants to reach even if it means waiting years before scoring the main prize!
Beginners to the game will find it easy to play by following the six steps mentioned in this article. The key point to remember is to only purchase tickets from reputable, licensed retailers or online lottery sites. While everyone has an equal chance of winning the millions, who’s to say it isn’t your turn this time around to become a EuroMillions winner?
FAQs
Can foreigners play EuroMillions?
You don’t have to be a resident or citizen of one of the participating countries to play EuroMillions. Foreigners visiting any one of the countries may purchase tickets to play the lottery game, both online or at a licensed retailer. You can play abroad using legit online lottery sites that use agents to purchase and submit your tickets.
Do you pay tax on EuroMillions?
EuroMillions prize money is taxed in three of the participating countries namely Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. This means you won’t get the full amount of advertised amount if you play the game in any of these countries. All lottery winnings are tax-free in the UK but familiarizing yourself with each country’s tax laws will prevent any disappointment if you hit the BIG one!
How is EuroMillions paid?
Depending on the size of your winnings, EuroMillions is paid directly into your National Lottery account or transferred into a bank account. Online lottery sites have their own payout rules but most winnings are paid directly into your account. You can claim smaller winnings from licensed retailers in participating countries.
Is it better to play lottery or EuroMillions?
According to the National Lottery statistics you have more chances of winning the lotto main prize compared with the EuroMillions jackpot. The odds for winning the lotto jackpots are better at 1 to 45.057,474 compared to the EuroMillions main prize which is 1 in 140 million.