How Has The Jackpot Got So Large?
It has taken 14 draws without a winner to create the current jackpot. The top prize reset to its starting value of €17 million (£15 million) after a player from Spain landed €107 million (£96 million) on Friday 19th July, and each rollover has pushed it higher and higher towards the top of the list of big jackpots.
The latest draw, on Friday 6th September, saw six players from across all nine participating countries win £170,093 (€287,720) each in the Match 5 + 1 Lucky Star category, but again there were no tickets that matched all the winning numbers.
Is This The Biggest Prize Ever?
The current prize ranks just outside the top ten for the largest jackpots of all time. Considering the lottery has been running for more than 15 years, this makes it a rather special jackpot, but also means that it still has room to grow.
There is a jackpot cap of €190 million (approximately £170 million based on the current exchange rate) on EuroMillions. The top prize can only go up this size, then it is locked in place for up to five draws before there has to be a winner. During this time, any money that would normally go to the jackpot is added to the Match 5 + 1 fund.
The jackpot has reached €190 million on three previous occasions. Adrian and Gillian Bayford from the UK were the first winners of the maximum jackpot in August 2012, before a Portuguese participant replicated the achievement in October 2014 and a Spanish player did the same in 2017.
Which Countries Win The Most Jackpots?
All nine participating countries have had jackpot winners, but it is France and Spain that have had the most with 90 apiece. The UK is not far behind on 78, followed by Portugal with 69. The odds of winning are exactly the same regardless of where you buy your ticket, so it is understandable that the countries with the biggest populations have had the most winners as they sell more tickets. Luxembourg, the smallest nation to play EuroMillions, has had just two winners.
Ireland is another country with a comparatively small population, but 14 winners have come from the Emerald Isle. The biggest win this year went to a family syndicate from County Dublin, who claimed €175 million (£152 million) on 19th February following a Superdraw a couple of weeks earlier.
What’s The Best Way To Win The Jackpot?
There are several strategies you can try to win the jackpot, whether it is looking at statistics or choosing random numbers. However, as the chances of winning are the same for every number combination, the only way to boost your odds is to submit multiple entries.
Many players also like to form syndicates so they can play several lines while keeping costs down, just like the family from Dublin that won so much in February. As long as you have an entry you have a chance, though, and you can take part online or by visiting an authorised retailer.