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Five Big Moments From EuroMillions’ First 1,000 Draws

As EuroMillions celebrates its 1,000th draw, many more players across the continent can look forward to winning life-changing prizes in the months and years to come. The first 13 years have certainly produced some magical moments, with big winners, big changes and special events delivering widespread excitement.

Weirs Win Big

Chris and Colin Weir made EuroMillions history on 12th July 2011 when they grabbed £161.6 million, setting a new record for the highest jackpot to have ever been given away on the game. The lucky couple, from Largs in North Ayrshire, splashed out on a mansion and a series of expensive cars, while they have also made a big difference in the community by setting up the Weir Charitable Trust to support various projects in Scotland.

100 Millionaires in a Night

A special edition of the UK Millionaire Maker was held alongside the main EuroMillions game on Friday 27th July 2012 to mark the start of the London Olympics. The draw guaranteed that 100 prizes of £1 million would be given away to lucky ticket holders, and a new record was set for the most lottery millionaires made in one night when 97 of the rewards were claimed. A similar promotion was run the following year on 26th July 2013, when 92 of the 100 prizes were claimed.

Bayford Bonanza

Adrian and Gillian Bayford from Suffolk scooped a staggering £148.6 million on 10th August 2012, allowing them to purchase a £6 million, 200-acre country estate. It was the first time in EuroMillions history that the revised jackpot cap of €190 million had been reached. However, even though their Euro payout was worth more than the Weirs, the Sterling amount was lower due to the exchange rate at the time. A Portuguese participant is the only other ticket holder to have won €190 million, having matched all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars on 24th October 2014.

Luxury Prizes

EuroMillions began to offer lifestyle experiences as well as cash prizes when Mega Friday was introduced in October 2014. To celebrate the revamp, 25 UK Millionaire Maker prizes were given away on 31st October, with each winner receiving £1 million and the chance to fly out to Makepeace Island in Australia for an all-inclusive two-week holiday with seven guests.

Big Changes

A number of changes were introduced in September 2016 to create even more excitement, with Mega Week replacing Mega Friday, the number of guaranteed UK Millionaire Maker prizes in every draw doubling to two and the minimum jackpots increasing. A Superdraw was held on 30th September to mark the occasion, offering a top prize of €130 million. The jackpot rolled over before a Belgian player eventually scooped €168 million (£153.3 million) on 11th October.

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Published: Fri, 21 April 2017 - 11:01am
Last Updated: Thu, 12 September 2019 - 12:13pm
Published By: Euro-Millions.com