Everything You Need to Know About EuroMillions but Were Too Afraid to Ask

How Did the Jackpot Get so Big?

Last Friday saw the second Superdraw of the year, with an enhanced jackpot worth £114.5 million (€130 million). As no one won the top prize on the night, it rolled over, before doing the same on Tuesday evening. This is how it reached the mighty total available today.  

The top prize is just shy of the largest award won so far this year, which stands at £134.8 million (€153.8 million), on Friday 2nd June.

Will I Pay Tax on the Jackpot?

Only three EuroMillions nations tax lottery prizes. Portuguese players give up 20% on amounts over €5,000, those in Spain pay 20% to the government on awards over €2,500, and 35% is withheld from Swiss prizes of more than CHF1,000.

The other participating nations offer tax-free prizes, but you may be liable to withholdings from the interest you earn from a big award. In addition, if you choose your numbers online from a non-EuroMillions country, you may be liable for tax in your jurisdiction. In this case, you should consult an expert.

Can I Stay Anonymous if I Win?

All of the nine EuroMillions countries allow big winners to stay anonymous if they wish. Many, including the UK and Switzerland, offer expert financial advice for newly-minted millionaires as standard, whether you go public or not.

However, some winners prefer to reveal their identities to the press, believing that to keep such a secret would be too difficult. £161.6 million UK EuroMillions winner Christine Weir justified her and her husband’s decision to face the press, saying, “we would have had to have constructed lies for our nearest and dearest. We don’t want to live like that.”

Some winners opt for partial publicity, where they reveal some details about themselves, but keep their identity secret. Examples include the Belgian man who banked €168 million in October 2016, who is known to have formerly worked in waste management in Brussels and enjoys cooking with fish and the films of Robert De Niro.

Do I Receive a Bigger Prize if I Go Public?

Although the individual lotteries that run EuroMillions enjoy showing off their latest big winners, there is no incentive to tell your story in public. You win exactly the same amount, however you deal with your good fortune.  

Can I Play EuroMillions from a Non-Participating Country?

If you live beyond the nine official EuroMillions nations, you can choose numbers online through a lottery betting site such as Jackpot.com, and play for the same fantastic prizes on offer in tonight’s draw. The process is safe and secure, not to mention extremely convenient and cheaper than snapping up a last minute flight to Portugal to buy a bunch of tickets!

Can I Play in a EuroMillions Nation if I Am Not a Citizen?

Whether you are on holiday in a EuroMillions country, visiting on business or are perhaps an overseas student, you can still play and win. You do not need to be a resident, you just need to buy your ticket in that country and, crucially, claim your prize in the nation in which you played.

You cannot claim a prize in the UK, for example, on a ticket bought in Spain. Make sure you check the latest EuroMillions results before you leave the country in which you picked your numbers.

How Can I Get Hold of Tickets for the EuroMillions Draw?

You can buy EuroMillions tickets at authorised retailers in any of the nine participating countries. If you want to choose your numbers online, visit the Play page for more details.