How to Play EuroMillions

One of the most popular lottery games across Europe is the EuroMillions. But what exactly is it, how do you play, what can you win and where can you check your lottery results? 

What is EuroMillions?

EuroMillions is a lottery which takes place every Tuesday and Friday evening at 8pm. Results are available for the draw from 8:15pm onwards. 

How do I play EuroMillions?

You can play online through the official EuroMillions website.

Choose five numbers between 1 and 50 and an additional two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. If you wish, you can choose a Lucky Dip, which will randomly select numbers. Next, decide how many lines you want to buy. You can buy up to seven lines per play slip and up to 10 play slips at one time. Select whether you want to enter the Tuesday or Friday draw, or maybe even both. You can also choose to enter up to four weeks in advance if you wish.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, retail and online tickets will close at 7:30pm. Ticket sales will reopen at 9pm the same day for the next draw. During the rest of the week, online sales close at 11pm.

It is up to you to check the results for your EuroMillions play slip, as you will not be notified if you are a winner. You can visit Lottery Results to check if you’re a lucky EuroMillions winner.

Finally, you’ll need to claim your prize if you win! You will have to claim your prize from the same country you purchase the ticket in. For example, if you purchase the ticket in the United Kingdom, you cannot claim the prize in Austria. 

What is Millionaire Maker? 

If you’re in the UK and you enter the EuroMillions, you will be automatically entered into the Millionaire Maker draw and have the additional chance to win £1 million. You don’t even have to pay anything extra – it’s all included in the cost of your ticket. You will receive one code for Millionaire Maker for each combination of EuroMillions numbers. Codes consist of four letters and five numbers, which are generated randomly. One winning code will be drawn with the main EuroMillions draw. Your code needs to exactly match the winning code to win. 

Can I enter EuroMillions?

You are eligible to play EuroMillions if you are from:

  • Austria 
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Ireland
  • Luxembourg
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • UK

You will need to be at least 18 years old to enter EuroMillions.

How much do EuroMillions tickets cost? 

EuroMillions tickets cost €2.50 in every country except for Switzerland, where tickets cost CHF3.50, and the UK where tickets are £2.50.

How do I win?

Prizes are funded using revenue from the ticket sales. There are 13 prizes that can be won with EuroMillions.

The prizes you can win are:

Match                                             Win

5 numbers & 2 Lucky Stars              Jackpot

5 numbers & 1 Lucky Star               £155,916.10

5 numbers                                         £7,288.00

4 numbers & 2 Lucky Stars             £727.50

4 numbers & 1 Lucky Star               £65.70

4 numbers                                        £21.00

3 numbers & 2 Lucky Stars             £34.90

2 numbers & 2 Lucky Stars             £8.70

3 numbers & 1 Lucky Star               £6.80

3 numbers                                         £5.60

1 number & 2 Lucky Stars               £4.10

2 numbers & 1 Lucky Star               £3.50

2 numbers                                         £2.50

*Prizes above are accurate for draw 1358. Prizes are typically estimated based on expected ticket sales, and the number of winning players. Actual prices will vary for each draw. 

The jackpot amount has a range of the available prizes which are available. However, £14.3 million is the guaranteed minimum amount for the jackpot, while £160.5 million has been the maximum.

How do I claim my prize?

If you’re lucky enough to win the lottery, one of the important things you’ll need to know is how to claim your winnings. 

The claims process varies for each country. For smaller prizes, it is usually paid into your online or bank account. Whereas for larger jackpots, you may have to contact an official representative or visit a lottery headquarters. For specific information on your country, visit the official EuroMillions website.

Do you pay tax on EuroMillion prizes?

This varies depending on which country you reside in. Countries which tax EuroMillions prizes are:

  • Portugal: Prizes over €5,000 are subject to a 20 per cent tax.
  • Spain: Prizes over €2,500 are subject to a 20 per cent tax.
  • Switzerland: Prizes over CHF1 million are subject to a 35 per cent tax.

The remaining six countries eligible for EuroMillions do not tax winnings. However, while winnings are not taxed, some countries have other tax implications regarding jackpot winnings. 

 

How long do I have to claim my winnings?

Lottery ticket winnings don’t last forever. If you win any prize with EuroMillions, you will have a certain amount of time to claim this prize. So above all, act quickly! 

How long you have to claim your winnings will vary depending on which country you purchased the ticket in. 

Country            Claim period

Austria              3 years

Belgium             3 years

France               60 days

Ireland              90 days

Luxembourg     60 days

Portugal            90 days

Spain                 3 months

Switzerland       180 days

UK                    180 days

Remember, you will no longer be able to claim your prize outside of this timeframe and it will be treated as an unclaimed winning.

Head to Lottery Results UK to find past EuroMillions results.