Euro Millions Lottery

Euromillions - Introduction

The Euro millions Lottery was founded by the Francaise des Jeux in France and the Loterias y Apuestas des Estad in Spain and Camelot in the UK and was created on Saturday February 7, 2004. The inaugural draw was on on Friday February 13, 2004 in Paris. The UK, France and Spain were participating initially, but lotteries from Austria, Belgium, the Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland then entered the draw on 8 october 2004.

The Euro Millions lottery, or the Euro lotto as it is often known, combines the stakes of all nine participating European countries presenting a giant Euro lotto prize.

With the number of nations entering the European Union increasing, this will naturally lead to more nations partaking in the Euro loto. An increase in the amount of people playing this European lotto will lead to an on-going growth of the already mammoth Euro Millions Lotto jackpots.

The Euro Millions Lottery jackpot is carried over each week until it is won which gives rise to some huge prizes. On 3rd february 2006, after rolling over 11 times, the Euro Lottery prize of over 125 million pounds was won by three ticket holders (two in France and one in Portugal), making it Europe's biggest ever lottery prize.

The European Lotto - How to Play

Each player selects 5 main numbers which can be any number from 1 to 50 and 2 lucky star numbers which can be any number from 1 to 9. During the Euro Millions Lottery draw, 5 main and 2 lucky star numbers are then picked at random from two draw machines containing numbered balls. The device containing the 50 balls is named Stresa and the one containing nine lucky star balls is known as Paquerette.

The European Lotto - Prize Structure

The odds of scooping the top Euro Millions Lottery prize is a remote 1 in 76,275,360 but the odds of scooping any prize at all are a respectable 1 in 24. 16 per cent of the prize fund is given to a "Booster Fund" which can be used to increase the prize pot. The numbers for the estimated prize are only a guide and the true amount changes according to the total in the prize pot and the number of winners for every prize.

If the prize is not won, it rolls over until the following week. However, if the prize is not won on the twelfth successive week (i.e., eleven rollovers), then the jackpot prize is "rolled down" by distributing it between winners of the next level instead of rolling it forward again.

An exception to this rule would have been on the 3rd of february 2006, which, if the prize had not been collected, it would have been carried over for a thirteenth week.

New rules brought in on The 4th of january 2007 and taking effect On the 9th of february 2007 limit the amount of consecutive draws to eleven, with the jackpot rolling down to lower prize levels in the eleventh draw if the jackpot is not won. The new rules also introduced "Event Draws" otherwise known as "Superdraws", in which there will be a guarantee of the minimum amount which is available to pay prizes in the Match 5 and 2 Lucky Stars Prize Category; if an Event Draw isn't won it will be rolled down. The inaugural Event Draw took place on the 9th of february 2007 for €100m (Ł66m, 165m sfr) to celebrate the Euromillions third birthday.

The European Lotto - Notable Wins

On On the 9th of february 2007, a Man from belgium collected the Euro Millions Lottery prize of €100 million ($132 million or Ł67.9 million) with a ticket bought in a newspaper shop in Tienen. This is the largest lotto win in Belgium and the second-biggest single win in euromillions history.

By the 17th of november, after rolling over 11 times, the Euromillions Lotto jackpot reached €183 million ($241 million or Ł124 million pounds). No ticket matched all the numbers for the 12th draw, so the Euro Millions Lottery jackpot was divided among the 20 tickets that matched 5 numbers and 1 lucky star number. Every such ticket was worth €9.6 million ($12.6 million). That is 5% of the prize plus the regular match 5+1 prize. 7 of the 20 tickets were purchased in the United Kingdom, 4 in France, 3 every in Portugal and Spain, 2 in the Republic of Ireland, and 1 in Belgium.

On the 31st of march 2006, after rolling over 6 times, the European Lotto prize of €75,753,123 ($100,175,909) was won by one Belgian man, the second biggest win ever in Belgium, and the third-biggest prize won by a single person.

On the 3rd of february 2006, after rolling over 11 times, the Euro Millions Lottery prize of €180 million ($238 million) was won by three ticket holders, two in France and one in Portugal. The three winners won €60 million ($79 million) each.

On the 31st of july 2005, after rolling over 9 times, the Euro Millions Lotto prize of €115 million ($152 million) was won on a ticket acquired in Garryowen, Limerick, Ireland. The lucky ticket holder was Dolores McNamara, mother of six; she remains the biggest individual winner in Euromillions history. She picked up the prize on the 4th of august at the Irish National loto's offices in Dublin.

Discover right now just how you could boost your Euro Millions Lottery chances and find your name in future 'Notable Wins' articles.