Fifteen draws have now passed since the last time the jackpot was won, making it one of the longest sequences of rollovers in EuroMillions history and setting up one of the game’s biggest ever prizes.
There were 2.6 million winning tickets across all the prize categories on Tuesday 10th September, including three players in the Match 5 + 1 Lucky Star tier who scooped €482,131 each. However, nobody was quite able to match the full winning line and now excitement will continue to grow ahead of the next draw in Paris on Friday night.
How Do You Win The Jackpot?
To win the EuroMillions jackpot, you must match all five main numbers and both of the Lucky Stars. If there is more than one winner, the prize will be split equally. You just have to enter the game to be in with a chance of winning, and tickets are available from retailers in nine participating countries. You can also take part online.
It is entirely up to you how you choose your numbers; many players have had success with a random selection and there are a couple of advantages to this method. Firstly, it is quick and easy if you are struggling to think of which numbers to use. Patrick and Frances Connolly, from Northern Ireland, bought a single Lucky Dip online for the draw on New Year’s Day and ended up winning £114 million.
Secondly, you are less likely to play the same numbers as anyone else if you have a random selection, as many players use more familiar patterns or memorable dates. If your line of numbers is unique, it means you won’t have to share the jackpot if you win. You can generate your own numbers in an instant.
Another idea might be to analyse the Statistics and base your selections on which numbers have been drawn previously. The numbers 23, 50, 44, 4 and 19 have been the most common since EuroMillions started, along with Lucky Stars 2 and 3. The most overdue numbers heading into Friday’s draw are 21, 6, 16, 34 and 32, with Lucky Stars 12 and 11. The number 21 has not appeared since Tuesday 9th April.
The date of the next draw, Friday the 13th, is traditionally associated with bad luck, but it has proved to be very fortunate for EuroMillions in the past. The last time a draw fell on a Friday the 13th, back in July 2018, someone from Spain won the jackpot and 13 UK ticket holders became millionaires thanks to a special Millionaire Maker promotion.
A particularly big jackpot such as the one on Friday might also represent a good time to set up a syndicate. Purchasing multiple entries is the only genuine way of boosting your chances of winning, and teaming up with others is the most affordable way to play several lines at once. If your group of friends or colleagues scoop the jackpot, you have to share the money but you also share the experience together, and EuroMillions history is littered with examples of winning syndicates.
How Much Higher Could The Jackpot Go?
There is a jackpot cap of €190 million on EuroMillions, so it may only take a couple more rollovers to reach this maximum amount. The top prize has hit €190 million three times in the past but it has not happened since October 2017, when a ticket holder from Spain pocketed the lot.
Spain has had 90 jackpot winners in total since EuroMillions started in 2004, the same number as France, while the UK has been the third-most successful country with 78 winners. There have been jackpot winners from every participating nation, though, and at least one more big winner is guaranteed in the next few weeks as the top prize will have to be won if it stays at €190 million for four straight draws.
With so many tickets set to be sold for Friday’s draw there is a chance it will not climb any higher, so make sure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to take part.