The EuroMillions

Published on: 19/09/2013

Most lotteries are limited to relatively small regions – a hotel may have its own lottery, which is just open to residents. The odds presented may be good, since the administrators want someone to claim the jackpot fairly regularly, so you wont have a jackpot with a millions to one chance of winning. Counterbalancing this, the prize fund will be much smaller of course, since the funds can only come from the limited number of people. The lottery is only open to residents of the hotel, so a relatively small number of tickets will be on sale.

If this small Lottery is at one extreme, the Euro Millions would be at the other! It is huge, by any standards! Maybe aliens out in the depths of space have a multi galaxy consortium lottery going, but here on earth The Euro Millions is surely the biggest active lottery! Pooling the stakes of a multitude of participating countries throughout Europe, this lottery has people wishing to win across thousands of miles.

It was first formed through the collaboration of Lottery administrators in the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Such was the immediate success of this venture that other countries wanted to become part of it. Those who soon joined the Euro Lottery were Switzerland Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Luxembourg and Portugal.

As with so many other lotteries, draws are held twice a week. The administrators rightly predicted that the game would be hugely popular, and that a single weekly draw would not be sufficient to sate people’s lottery appetite! Paris is the designated city where the draws are held, and take place every Tuesday and Friday at 19:45 GMT.

There are 50 numbers from which the player must select 5; they must also pick a pair of so called “Lucky Star” numbers from a lesser selection of just 11. Smaller prizes can be won by matching numbers from the first five: in order to be eligible for some of the huge jackpots however the player must also choose the correct Lucky Star numbers. A prize can be won simply by selecting 2 correct main numbers, and the probability of winning some kind of prize runs at 1:13 – relatively good compared to some other major lotteries. The table below will be instructive in presenting possible winnings:

Main Numbers Matched	Lucky Stars Matched	Odds of Winning	% of Pool Paid Out	€1 Bet Pays
5	2	1:116,531,800	32.0%	Jackpot
5	1	1:6,473,989	4.8%	€310,751
5	0	1:3,236,995	1.6%	€51,792
4	2	1:517,920	0.8%	€4,143
4	1	1:28,774	0.7%	€201
4	0	1:14,387	0.7%	€101
3	2	1:11,771	0.5%	€59
2	2	1:822	2.3%	€19
3	1	1:654	2.2%	€14
3	0	1:327	3.7%	€12
1	2	1:157	6.5%	€10
2	1	1:46	17.6%	€8
2	0	1:23	18.0%	€4

As with other big lotteries prise funds rollover – so if there is no winner one week the pot will be carried over to the next week’s game. After just a few weeks without a winner the jackpot can reach stupendous proportions! The initial jackpot is set at €15 million, but there are regular Super Draws, with €0 million up for grabs!

It costs only €2 for a basic EuroMillions ticket. Both Ireland and Portugal offer a Plus Ticket, where the player can win a half million euro jackpot just by choosing five correct numbers, without involving the two “Lucky Star” numbers at all. If you are in Europe, and feeling lucky, why not give the EuroMillions a go? With two chances a week to have your dreams come true who can resist?

Published on: 19/09/2013 © Bet Bind