What is EuroMillions?
EuroMillions is one of the most popular international lottery games in Europe, played across nine countries including the UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Ireland. It’s a joint venture between these countries’ national lotteries, making it an exciting and diverse game that offers life-changing prizes to its winners.
History
EuroMillions was first introduced casino EuroMillions (UK National Lottery) on February 13, 2004, when seven European countries – the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg – launched their joint lottery scheme. Austria joined in January 2010. The game has undergone several changes over the years to keep it engaging for players while maintaining its integrity.
How Does EuroMillions Work?
The core mechanism of EuroMillions is quite straightforward: participants submit their numbers by selecting five main balls from a pool of one to fifty and two additional ‘Lucky Star’ balls (from 1-12 or, as the UK calls them, ‘Stars’). Participants then place bets based on these selections, with draws taking place twice each week.
The process begins at about 8:45 PM British Summer Time every Tuesday and Friday night when players can submit their numbers up until 7:25 PM (for online transactions) or via the various ticket sales points.
Numbers
In EuroMillions, five main balls are drawn from a drum containing one to fifty. This is where participants get an exciting twist: the possibility of winning without matching all six numbers becomes realizable due to the presence of two “Lucky Stars” (or ‘Stars’) selected from 12 additional pools. Players can choose their own Lucky Star(s) and this is called EuroMillions Plus which adds another £10 to a participant’s entry.
Draws
The draws are carried out in Paris using an automatic system, making results uniform across all participating countries.
Ticket Sales Points
Tickets can be bought at licensed lotteries outlets or on-line (for the UK) up until 7:25 pm local time prior to a draw. In addition participants may choose to have their numbers selected automatically which is known as a Lucky Dip where the system randomly selects the numbers for you.
Types of Winners
There are three types of winners in EuroMillions:
- The Jackpot, won if all five main balls and both ‘Lucky Stars’ match.
- One or more ‘Main Balls’: Won by matching some (but not all) main ball numbers plus no ‘Stars’, these results yield the second-tier prize which can be between £500,000-£6 million depending on the exact number of matches.
Types of Entries
As well as standard entries you may also purchase a ticket for EuroMillions Plus where an additional entry in the next draw will make any non-winning result worth another chance at winning £1 Million. You could also choose to buy 10 lines or even take part with your partner.