The jackpot for the draw was worth €220 million after reaching its cap, and there was a single entry that matched all seven numbers. It was quickly announced afterwards that the lucky player was from France.
However, it has now been revealed that the big win was in fact celebrated in Tahiti, around 10,000 miles away from Paris. Française des Jeux (FDJ), the French National Lottery, sent a special team to the island to present the prize to the winner in person.
“On behalf of all the employees of the FDJ group, I am proud to present the record prize of €220 million to a young Polynesian player,” said Isabelle Cesari, head of winner services for FDJ, who was joined by Thierry Gabarret, Director General of the Pacific Games.
The winner has decided to remain anonymous, but she did talk about how she had come to buy a ticket for that historic draw, having never previously played EuroMillions in her life.
“I was waiting for the right moment to play, and that day I had a hunch,” she explained, adding that she had always seen her grandfather play. “Everything is possible, you just have to believe in it. Before checking my ticket, I felt a shiver in my back.”
She hid the ticket in several different places, including under her bed and in her clothes, while she waited for the win to be confirmed. Now that she has been paid, she does not want to get too carried away. I will not change. I am going to keep it simple and continue to walk around in bare feet.”
The winner is looking forward to what the future holds. “I want to travel the world and discover the snow that I have never seen before.” She is keen to buy a house on every continent, support charities and invest in real estate, while she also intends to carry on working.
‘Luck Has No Borders’
Tahiti, as part of French Polynesia, is one of France’s overseas territories. FDJ created the Pacific Games as one of its subsidiaries in 1991, allowing lottery fans in the region to enjoy all the same games that are available in mainland France.
There are 114 points of sale spread across the islands of French Poynesia, with EuroMillions regarded as the flagship game. Commenting on the young woman’s success, Cesari said: “I am delighted to see France win. Luck has no territory, no borders. We look forward to having more winners in mainland France and overseas.”
France currently ranks as the second most successful EuroMillions country in terms of jackpots won, just behind the UK and just ahead of Spain. All nine participating nations have produced multiple winners, and the latest win in Tahiti shows that it is a global game with participants from all over the world.
If you want to give yourself a chance to become the next big winner, you can take part in EuroMillions every Tuesday and Friday night either online or by going to an authorised retailer.