What are the odds that third EuroMillions jackpot would be won within five draws? It seems impossible, but that’s exactly what happened. A lucky ticket holder from France has won the €39 336 342 EuroMillions jackpot in a draw held on 8 November 2016. This comes after two jackpots were won last month.
Does that mean you should buy tickets for the next EuroMillions draw? It certainly couldn’t hurt.
The real question is why have so many EuroMillions jackpots been won since changes were introduced to the format of the game in September? If you weren’t aware, the number of Lucky Stars was increased by one, from 11 to 12. This small change had the effect of increasing the odds a player winning the jackpot from one in 117 000 000 to one in 140 000 000. Along with a 50 eurocent increase in the cost of tickets, the idea behind these changes was to increase the size of the jackpots.
The EuroMillions marked the occasion by holding a Superdraw with a jackpot of €130 000 000 held on 30 September 2016. That jackpot only rolled over four times and was won by a single ticket holder when it reached €168 085 323 on 11 October 2016. After that the jackpot was reset to its €17 000 000. It only took three roll overs for another winner to scoop a jackpot worth €50 108 729, a mere 14 days later.
Once again, the jackpot was reset to €17 000 000 and the very next draw, one winner picked the winning lotto numbers for a grand prize worth €17 375 733 on 28 October 2016. And now the latest winner has taken the jackpot once again. After the Powerball increased its number field, it took 20 roll overs for it to reach that record-breaking $1 600 000 000 jackpot. Now even though the EuroMillions intended to follow the example set by the Powerball, the result seems to be the complete opposite.
But that could be good news for lottery fans. After all, the EuroMillions is one of the biggest lotteries in the world. It compares favourably with American lotteries such as the Powerball and Mega Millions. Although the jackpot is capped at €190 000 000, winning a EuroMillions jackpot could still make you one of the world’s biggest lottery winners. Even when compared to Europe’s most popular lottery, the EuroJackpot, it comes out tops.
People around the world play EuroMillions online for their chance at winning a prize. With a staggering thirteen prize tiers and two bonus numbers, your odds of winning any EuroMillions prize stand at only one in 13. With those odds it’s hardly surprising that the lottery has attracted so many fans. The game is hosted in thirteen European countries including the UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. But these days, anyone can buy tickets online from reputable online lottery ticket sites.
Playing the EuroMillions online is simple as players only have to choose five main numbers from one to 50 and two Lucky Star numbers from one to 12. The bonus numbers contribute to nine of the 13 prize divisions, including the jackpot. That means players have exceptionally good chances of winning a smaller prize. In fact, simply matching two of the main numbers will make you a EuroMillions winner.
The number of prize divisions does make a difference to your odds of winning. Even the US Powerball and Mega Millions only offer nine prize divisions. The EuroJackpot offers a total of 12 prize divisions, but it has much smaller starting jackpot of €10 000 000 and it’s capped at €90 000 000. Despite being available in 16 countries, the EuroJackpot is not able to offer the big jackpots you get with the EuroMillions.
Despite the recent changes to the EuroMillions, it would appear that now is a good time to get your tickets for the next draw. There are two draws held every week on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you buy your tickets online, you won’t need to worry about checking the draw results. The online lottery ticket agent will check your ticket against the winning numbers and send you an email if you win.
Even if the jackpot doesn’t get the chance to roll over before you win it, you’ll still be a millionaire. And if you’re playing from outside Europe, the exchange rate could increase your prize in your local currency. Imagine how much better your bank balance would look with a EuroMillions jackpot.