Casino
Scratchcards
PlayOdds of Winning EuroMillions
The odds of winning the EuroMillions jackpot are 1 in 139,838,160. However, there are also 12 other prize tiers, bringing your overall chances of winning a prize to 1 in 13.
Every single entry into a EuroMIllions draw has the exact same chance of winning, as players must always pick five numbers from a pool of 50 main numbers and two Lucky Stars from a separate pool of 12 numbers.
The table below tells you what are the odds of winning for each category. You can also see the average prize for each one, and the workings of the odds calculator. Please note, calculations and odds in the table below have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
| Match | Odds of Winning | Average Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + 2 | 1 in 139,838,160 | £57,676,444.10 |
| 5 + 1 | 1 in 6,991,908 | £260,661.40 |
| 5 | 1 in 3,107,515 | £26,104.13 |
| 4 + 2 | 1 in 621,503 | £1,469.85 |
| 4 + 1 | 1 in 31,076 | £93.77 |
| 3 + 2 | 1 in 14,126 | £51.20 |
| 4 | 1 in 13,812 | £31.42 |
| 2 + 2 | 1 in 986 | £10.84 |
| 3 + 1 | 1 in 707 | £8.28 |
| 3 | 1 in 314 | £6.84 |
| 1 + 2 | 1 in 188 | £5.38 |
| 2 + 1 | 1 in 50 | £4.22 |
| 2 | 1 in 22 | £2.70 |
| The approximate overall odds of winning a prize in EuroMillions are 1 in 13 | ||
Average prize amounts calculated using results drawn between 27/09/2016 and 19/04/2024.
The exact value of prizes in each tier, including the jackpot*, is calculated according to how many tickets are sold in a particular EuroMillions draw and how many winning tickets there are in any given prize tier. There is a better chance that you will win a larger than average prize in a particular tier if there are fewer winners than normal, as the money does not have to be split as many ways. However, this could also mean that fewer tickets have been sold for the draw, so there isn’t as much money to go around.
If you select popular combinations of numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with Lucky Stars 1 and 2, it is just as likely that these numbers will be drawn as any other. However, if they did appear, you may have to share the jackpot with hundreds of other players. Selecting random numbers increases your chances of a larger payout.
* Excluding Superdraw or Event Draw jackpots which are a set amount. The jackpots in Superdraws have the ability to roll over to become an estimated amount in subsequent draws, once again based on anticipated ticket sales.
How to Improve Your Odds of Winning
The only way to improve your chances of winning is to purchase more entries. For example, if you buy two tickets, you are doubling your chances of landing the jackpot to 2 in 139,838,160, or 1 in 69,919,080. The more tickets you buy, the better your chances of winning.
It would cost £349,595,400 to buy every possible EuroMillions combination. This is more than the maximum jackpot.
Playing in a syndicate is one method to increase the possibility of a win without necessarily increasing the cost. Of course, any prizes won are shared between all syndicate members.
While there is no guarantee that playing each week, or as part of a syndicate, will secure a win, it is entirely feasible that you could win the jackpot the first time you buy a ticket. In 2013, 17-year-old Jane Park of Midlothian, Scotland, won a £1 million prize after buying a lottery ticket for the very first time.
The probability of winning is based on the number matrix. It does not depend at all on other factors such as the size of the jackpot, the numbers you pick or how many tickets are sold for the draw.
EuroMillions is a game of chance and a gamble you take when you play. The random, unpredictable nature of the lottery means that everyone is in with an equal chance of winning a prize regardless of personal circumstances. There is no reason why you couldn't be the next big winner - unless, of course, you don't buy a ticket.
Do Lucky Dips ever win EuroMillions?
The likelihood of winning is just the same if you play a Lucky Dip or choose your own numbers.
Joe and Jess Thwaite won £184 million – a UK record at the time - with a Lucky Dip ticket that was bought online.
Millionaire Maker Odds
Unlike the main EuroMillions game, where the odds are constant in every draw, the chances of winning £1 million in the UK Millionaire Maker vary each draw.
The Millionaire Maker is a raffle, so the odds are based on ticket sales. The fewer tickets that are sold, the greater the probability of a win. More tickets are generally sold for Friday draws than Tuesdays, and when the jackpot is large, so the odds of winning the Millionaire Maker are more favourable on a Tuesday.
Your chances of winning also increase in those special draws when multiple prizes are put up for grabs, rather than the usual one. Go to the Millionaire Maker page for more information.
Ireland Only Raffle Odds
The odds of winning an Ireland Only Raffle prize are calculated by dividing the total number of entries into a given draw by the number of prizes available – which is always 10.
You are automatically entered into the raffle when you buy a EuroMillions ticket in Ireland, and if the code on your ticket matches one of the 10 winning codes exactly, you receive €5,000. The exact odds of winning will always fluctuate as the number of tickets sold is never the same.
Sometimes, there are special draws when more money is added to the pot to be shared between winners, or some of the 10 winners are randomly selected to receive an extra €1 million. This improves your chances of getting a bigger prize, but not your chances of winning.