EuroMillions 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 in Paris. 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.
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.
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.
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: