EuroMillions: Official Guide, Rules, Odds & How to Play

Main Numbers
5 from 1-50
Lucky Stars
2 from 1-12
Jackpot Odds
1 in 139,838,160
Ticket Cost
£2.50
Draw Schedule
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Draws every Tuesday & Friday evening at 20:45:00 GMT

What is EuroMillions?

EuroMillions is one of Europe's largest and most popular transnational lotteries, played across nine European countries including the UK, France, Spain, and Switzerland. Launched in 2004, it has created numerous multi-millionaires and offers some of the biggest jackpots in lottery history.

All EuroMillions prizes are paid as tax-free lump sums. Of every £1 spent on EuroMillions tickets in the UK:

50%
Prize Fund
37%
Good Causes
5%
Retailer Commission
4%
Operating Costs
4%
Profit

Did You Know?

EuroMillions holds the UK record for the largest lottery jackpot ever won - £195 million! The game is played across multiple countries, creating a massive prize pool that can lead to record-breaking jackpots. UK players automatically get a Millionaire Maker code with every ticket, giving them a chance to win £1 million in every draw!

How to play EuroMillions?

Players select five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Star numbers from 1 to 12. To win the jackpot, you need to match all five main numbers plus both Lucky Stars.

The Lucky Stars are crucial for the higher prize tiers and determine whether you win the jackpot or lower prizes.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 50
  2. Select 2 Lucky Stars from 1 to 12
  3. Get Millionaire Maker code (automatically included for UK players)
  4. Wait for the draw on Tuesday or Friday
  5. Check your numbers - match at least 2 main numbers or 1 main + 2 stars to win
  6. Claim your prize - all prizes are tax-free!

You can play EuroMillions online here.

Odds to win EuroMillions prizes

EuroMillions offers good overall odds with 1 in 13 chance to win any prize!

Winning Selections Odds Prize (Approx)
Match 5 + 2 Stars 1 in 139,838,160 Jackpot! (Starts at £14M)
Match 5 + 1 Star 1 in 6,991,908 £285,802
Match 5 1 in 3,107,515 £39,542
Match 4 + 2 Stars 1 in 621,503 £2,319
Match 4 + 1 Star 1 in 31,076 £121
Match 4 1 in 13,812 £56
Match 3 + 2 Stars 1 in 14,126 £44
Match 2 + 2 Stars 1 in 986 £13
Match 3 + 1 Star 1 in 707 £10
Match 3 1 in 314 £8
Match 1 + 2 Stars 1 in 188 £6
Match 2 + 1 Star 1 in 50 £5
Match 2 + 0 Star 1 in 22 £3

Overall odds of winning any prize: 1 in 13

Millionaire Maker

Every EuroMillions ticket purchased in the UK includes a FREE Millionaire Maker code! For every draw:

  • One guaranteed £1 million winner in every EuroMillions draw
  • Additional millionaires created on special promotion days
  • Automatic entry - no extra numbers to choose
  • Separate draw

Historical Prize Breakdown

History since 13 February 2004:

Winning Selections MAX Prize AVG Prize MIN Prize
Match 5 + 2 £216,150,000 £49,804,965 £4,093,500
Match 5 + 1 £6,287,001 £285,140 £36,551
Match 5 + 0 £681,685 £39,377 £3,672
Match 4 + 2 £22,599 £2,306 £197
Match 4 + 1 £302 £120 £26
Match 4 + 0 £141 £56 £9
Match 3 + 2 £102 £44 £13
Match 2 + 2 £25 £12 £4
Match 3 + 1 £30 £10 £4
Match 3 + 0 £18 £8 £4
Match 1 + 2 £12 £6 £2
Match 2 + 1 £9 £5 £2
Match 2 + 0 £4 £3 £2

Winning vs Losing Combinations

After each EuroMillions draw, the distribution of combinations is:

10,783,816
Winning Combinations
8%
129,054,344
Losing Combinations
92%

Winning Probability Calculations

In EuroMillions, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 50 and 2 Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. You need to match at least 2 main numbers or 1 main number plus 2 Lucky Stars to win a prize. The number of combinations that win any prize is calculated as follows:

Total Number of Combinations

The total number of ways to choose 5 numbers from 50 and 2 stars from 12 is given by:

\( \binom{50}{5} \times \binom{12}{2} = 2,118,760 \times 66 = 139,838,160 \)
Winning Combinations Breakdown

Let's calculate all the winning combinations for each prize tier:

Prize Tier Winning Combinations Calculation
Match 2 4,392,375 \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{45}{3} \times \binom{2}{0} \times \binom{10}{2} \)
Match 2 + 1 Star 5,994,900 \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{45}{3} \times \binom{2}{1} \times \binom{10}{1} \)
Match 1 + 2 Stars 2,177,400 \( \binom{5}{1} \times \binom{45}{4} \times \binom{2}{2} \times \binom{10}{0} \)
Match 3 1,221,759 \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{45}{2} \times \binom{2}{0} \times \binom{10}{2} \)
Match 3 + 1 Star 530,712 \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{45}{2} \times \binom{2}{1} \times \binom{10}{1} \)
Match 2 + 2 Stars 299,745 \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{45}{3} \times \binom{2}{2} \times \binom{10}{0} \)
Match 3 + 2 Stars 48,246 \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{45}{2} \times \binom{2}{2} \times \binom{10}{0} \)
Match 4 14,190 \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{45}{1} \times \binom{2}{0} \times \binom{10}{2} \)
Match 4 + 1 Star 6,170 \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{45}{1} \times \binom{2}{1} \times \binom{10}{1} \)
Match 4 + 2 Stars 561 \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{45}{1} \times \binom{2}{2} \times \binom{10}{0} \)
Match 5 252 \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{45}{0} \times \binom{2}{0} \times \binom{10}{2} \)
Match 5 + 1 Star 44 \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{45}{0} \times \binom{2}{1} \times \binom{10}{1} \)
Match 5 + 2 Stars 1 \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{45}{0} \times \binom{2}{2} \times \binom{10}{0} \)
Total Winning Combinations 10,783,816
Non-Winning Combinations

Combinations that don't meet the minimum winning criteria:

Total losing: 139,838,160 - 10,783,816 = 129,054,344
Conclusion

Therefore, there are 10,783,816 combinations (8%) that win any prize in each EuroMillions drawing, while 129,054,344 combinations (92%) win nothing.

Strategic Advantage

With our system, you can focus on playing the winning 8% of EuroMillions combinations, significantly improving your chances of regular wins! The majority of winning combinations come from matching 2 main numbers plus 1 Lucky Star, showing that strategic number selection can lead to consistent prizes.

Participating Countries

EuroMillions is played across multiple European countries, each with their own official lottery operators. Here's when each country joined and where you can buy tickets:

Country Joined Official Operator Where to Play
United Kingdom United Kingdom
2004 National Lottery national-lottery.co.uk
France France
2004 FDJ fdj.fr
Spain Spain
2004 Loterías y Apuestas del Estado loteriasyapuestas.es
Portugal Portugal
2004 Jogos Santa Casa jogossantacasa.pt
Austria Austria
2004 Österreichische Lotterien win2day.at
Belgium Belgium
2004 Nationale Loterij nationale-loterij.be
Germany Germany
2012* Westdeutsche Lotterie eurojackpot.de
Switzerland Switzerland
2004 Swiss Los swisslos.ch
Greece Greece
2022 OPAP opap.gr
Ireland Ireland
2004 National Lottery lottery.ie
Luxembourg Luxembourg
2004 Loterie Nationale loterie.lu

Important Notes

  • Germany: While Germany participates in EuroMillions, it primarily focuses on EuroJackpot. German players can play EuroMillions through select operators.
  • Greece: The newest member, joined in 2022, expanding EuroMillions' reach in Southern Europe.
  • Tax-Free Winnings: All prizes are paid tax-free in participating countries.
  • Age Requirements: Most countries require players to be 18+, except UK (16+) and Austria (17+).

*Germany joined as a full participating member in 2012, though German players could participate earlier through specific arrangements.

Remember, the only way to officially buy a ticket is via these official websites. But you have to be a legal resident of the country and have a national ID and bank account. You can also use 3rd party reseller websites but you have to be careful who to trust. Sites like www.euro-millions.com or www.euromillions.com are absolutely NOT OFFICIAL WEBSITES and are making money purely by reselling lottery tickets via overpriced 3rd party websites.

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Historical Changes & Evolution

September 2016 - Format Expansion

Major format change to increase jackpots:

  • Lucky Stars Expanded: Lucky Stars range increased from 1-11 to 1-12
  • Jackpot Cap Increased: Maximum jackpot raised from £190M to £210M
  • Improved Odds: Better odds for lower prize tiers
  • More Millionaires: Enhanced Millionaire Maker promotions
May 2011 - Millionaire Maker

Introduction of UK Millionaire Maker raffle:

  • Millionaire Maker: UK-only raffle guaranteeing one £1 million winner per draw
  • Additional Benefit: No extra cost for UK players
  • Unique Codes: Each ticket gets a unique raffle code
  • Instant Millionaires: Created numerous instant millionaires alongside main draws
February 2010 - Jackpot Cap Introduced

Implementation of jackpot cap system:

  • Jackpot Cap: Maximum jackpot set at £190 million
  • Rolldown Mechanism: Unwon jackpots roll down to lower tiers
  • Super Draws: Special draws with boosted jackpots
  • More Millionaires: System designed to create more winners
October 2006 - Price Increase

Ticket price adjustment in the UK:

  • Price Increase: Ticket price increased from £1.50 to £2.00
  • Enhanced Prizes: Better prize distribution across all tiers
  • New Countries: Additional European countries joined the lottery
  • Growing Popularity: Continued expansion across Europe
February 2004 - Game Launch

EuroMillions launched across Europe:

  • Historic Launch: First transnational European lottery
  • Initial Format: 5/50 main numbers + 2/9 Lucky Stars
  • Founding Countries: UK, France, and Spain as founding members
  • UK Ticket Price: Launched at £1.50 per line

Special Super Draws

EuroMillions is famous for its special Super Draws with guaranteed massive jackpots:

Super Draws

Special draws with guaranteed jackpots of £130-£200 million, occurring several times per year. These draws don't affect the regular jackpot rollover sequence.

Mega Fridays

Special promotions where all prizes are doubled or additional millionaires are created on selected Friday draws.

Anniversary Draws

Special draws to celebrate EuroMillions anniversaries with enhanced jackpots and additional prize opportunities.

Source: National Lottery EuroMillions