The Euro Millions European Lottery

On 7 February 2004 the first European lottery was launched. One had been considered since the 1990s but agreement could not be reached on its organization until much later.

Operating the first Euro millions draw were the Lotertias y Apuestas del Estado in Spain, Camelot in Britain (who ran it alongside the existing UK lottery draw) and Francaise des Jeux in France. It was not until October 2004 that these three founder members were joined by schemes from Luxembourg, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Portugal. Now it became a proper European lottery.

All eyes turn on Paris every Friday night when the winning numbers are drawn. Entry costs two euros or two GB pounds. Portugal and Ireland also run a 'Plus' option that costs three euros.

A Millionaire Raffle game was introduced by the UK authorities on 7 November 2009 to run alongside the European lottery and this creates a new millionaire every week.
An exciting aspect of the Euro millions draw is that it regularly 'rolls over.' This happens when the jackpot is not won on a particular week and results in the total being carried over to the following weeks jackpot. This can increase the amount to be won considerably. When it was devised, a rule was laid down to say the lottery can not roll over for more than eleven weeks. A winner must be found on the twelfth week at the latest. A winner of the European lottery usually has to match five balls and two lucky stars but on that twelfth roll over week, if a winner in not found in this way, then it can be reduced to five balls and just one lucky star.

Last year, on Friday 6 November, Les and Samantha Scadding were delighted to find they had won £45 million on the European lottery. Indeed they had won only half of that weeks £90 million jackpot. Both winners were residents of the UK, however.

However, the Euro lottery results show that this was not the biggest payout in Euro millions history. The record amount was received by a lady in Ireland in July 2005 who received a massive 115 million euros after nine weeks of roll over. A gentleman in Belgium took away the second highest payout in February 2007 and this totalled 100 million euros. All winners receive their money tax free, unless they reside in Switzerland.

The jackpots received tend to vary, adjusted as they are according to the contributions from the country concerned.

From a difficult start, the Euro millions lottery is now considered to be a success and is, indeed, a real European lottery.

Find out more about lotteries at UK lottery draw.