Betting on the EuroMillions Lottery
What is EuroMillions?
EuroMillions is a trans-European lotto originally founded by Britain, France and Spain. It then expanded to nine participating countries. In 2004 Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal joined raising the lotto's profile, and its prize pool, dramatically. The game is also playable by citizens of the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Andorra.
To bet on EuroMillions you select five regular numbers from 1-50 plus two star numbers from 1-12. For more detailed information on betting please see our EuroMillions Rules page.
What are the odds of winning the EuroMillions lottery?
The odds of having a EuroMillions winning ticket of any amount is 1 in 13. Your chance of being a EuroMillions jackpot winner by matching all 5 normal balls and 2 Lucky Star balls is about 1 in 139,838,160.
For a full breakdown of the different odds of winning see our odds and statistics page. To get a full breakdown of prizes, meanwhile, check out page.
Do I Pay Tax On EuroMillions Winnings?
This depends on the country where you reside and/or bought the ticket. The majority of EuroMillions countries do not tax lottery wins, though Switzerland, Spain and Portugal do.
How do I know if I've won a prize?
Checking your numbers on our EuroMillions automatic number checker is the quickest and easiest way to tell if you are a winner. If you register to bet on EuroMillions with Lottoland then you will have the winning numbers emailed to you directly after the draw, whether or not you have chosen correctly.
What is the biggest EuroMillions jackpot of all time?
The biggest EuroMillions jackpot of all time is the maximum cap of €200 million. This has been won twice, first in 2012, by Adrian and Gillian Bayford from the UK, and again, in 2014, by an anonymous player from Castelo Branco, Portugal. Since the Portuguese taxman takes a 20% share of lottery winnings, however, the Britons remain the biggest winners so far in Euro value.
Betting on the EuroMillions
How can I bet online EuroMillions?
You can now buy EuroMillions tickets either online or offline. Offline purchases can be made from any licensed dealer. Online purchases can be made either via your national lottery's website or, for more flexibility of play, you can bet on the results through licenced online lottery providers such as Lottoland.
Is It Better To Buy EuroMillions Lottery Tickets Online Or Offline?
We consider it safer to play the lottery online. With a physical ticket there's always the danger you might lose it or forget to claim your prize within the 180 day time limit. By playing online, however, you don't need to worry about that. Proof of purchase is logged by default and winnings will be credited automatically. So there's no need to check your numbers later.
We strongly urge you, however, to ensure you play only with licensed, reputable online lottery providers.
This is why we recommend you do your research first to ensure the company you're playing with is a reputable provider, with a recognised international insurance company underwriting wins. You should also ensure the company is properly regulated. They should clearly display a legitimate gambling license, which is generally linked to from the site's footer.
How Much Do EuroMillions Tickets Cost?
A EuroMillions ticket costs €3.50 making it a very affordable lottery, and considering how much you can win, an excellent value lottery too! You can also bet on EuroMillions online with Lottoland. A single bet costs the same, and you have access to their wide range of amazing promotions.
What Is The Latest Time That I Can Buy A EuroMillions Ticket?
Ticket sales for EuroMillions lottery draws close at 20:30CET on both Tuesday and Friday. Ticket sales are then reopened at 22:00CET for the next EuroMillions draw.
The EuroMillions Draw
How Long Does It Take For The EuroMillions Results To Be Released?
The results of the EuroMillions lottery will usually be revealed within an hour of the draw although in the past finalised results have not been collated and finalised until as late as midnight for major jackpots.
What Is A Rollover?
When there is no winner for a particular tier of prizes then the money is said to "roll over" to the next draw. This just means that it will accumulate to the next draw, a system that allows EuroMillions jackpots to grow very quickly.
Statistically rollovers are common for the top EuroMillions jackpot, which often takes several weeks to find a winner. Occasionally rollovers happen for the second or third place prizes, but it becomes mathematically improbable that no one will have the matching numbers for most of the lower tiers.
While technically there is no limit to the amount of rollovers which can occur, the EuroMillions jackpot is capped at €200 million. Any further rollovers become "rolldowns" where any amount that exceeds that €200 million figure is then added to the second tier prize.
In February 2012 the rules of EuroMillions were changed so that now only 2 draws maximum can be made at the top jackpot level, after which time the entire jackpot will continue to roll down until a winner is found.
Winning EuroMillions
Can I claim my prize anonymously?
Yes. As you've no doubt seen before many big-jackpot EuroMillions lottery winners fast become instant celebrities. So if you are concerned about your privacy, or are just modest by nature, you need not worry.
How long do I have to claim a winning ticket?
You have 180 days to make a claim for an offline ticket. After this time your ticket will be void and the money will be donated to charities and other good causes. Any prize money which you win online will be directly deposited into your account so you don't need to worry about the 180 day deadline.
What happens if I lose my ticket?
If you lose your ticket then whoever finds it (the bearer) may still be able to claim the prize even if you are the purchaser. (As at least one recent high-profile court case has shown.)
You can help protect yourself by signing the back of your EuroMillions ticket and keep your sales receipt as proof of ownership for offline tickets. Better still you can avoid this unpleasant situation completely by opting to bet on EuroMillions online.
How do I win the EuroMillions Jackpot?
Is There A Way To Improve My Chances Of Winning The Lottery?
There is no scientifically verified way to accurately predict lottery numbers as draws are completely random. Every number has the exact same chance of being drawn. However there are a few things you can do to help improve your chances of winning prizes and also reduce your chances of dividing it between other winning players.
A well-known strategy is to never select numbers lower than 31 as most players bet on lucky days of the month – meaning that your chances of sharing your prize will be statistically much higher if you also include numbers from 32 upwards!
For a mathematically sound way of improving your chances of winning a prize try playing with an automated Quick Pick. This option is widely available widely online. The advantage of this method is that it employs a random number generator to create strictly random numbers.
These numbers are far less likely to be picked by other players. Therefore Quick Picks offer a greater probability that the chosen numbers will be unique compared with playing your "lucky numbers" which, scientifically-speaking, are likely to be used by far more players than you might realise.
EuroMillions Superdraw
What are EuroMillions SuperDraws and where and when do they take place?
The EuroMillions SuperDraw takes place on special dates or to celebrate specific milestones for EuroMillions. Although there are several SuperDraws each year the number and the dates upon which they occur varies.
The Super Draw bypasses the results of the previous weeks and sets the top jackpot at €100 million, or more, no matter what the current jackpot may be. If no Super Draw winner is found then the inflated jackpot rolls over to the next draw.
These types of draws guarantee plenty of hype and media coverage about who will be Europe's lucky 100x millionaire. The last Super Draw took place on October 3rd, 2014. Find out when the next one will be held on our EuroMillions Super Draws page.
