On Tuesday 10th September, the top EuroMillions prize rolled over for the 15th time since a sole Spanish player scooped €107 million two months prior. The jackpot has been rising steadily since July, reaching an estimated €160 million – though the jackpot could increase by even more in the hours before the draw, as more and more people across all nine participating countries purchase tickets in the hope of clinching the bumper prize.
Ticket sales for the 13th September EuroMillions draw close at 21:30 CET; you can take part by choosing your numbers online.
EuroMillions Records through History
The 13th September EuroMillions jackpot is a landmark in the transnational lottery’s history, having grown to the largest non-Superdraw jackpot in recent history – breaking a EuroMillions record in the process. In the spirit of record-breaking, here’s a glimpse at some of the most significant draws in European lottery history.
Largest Ever Jackpot Win
The EuroMillions jackpot is capped at a maximum of €190 million, an amount that has only ever been won three times. However, due to inflation, every jackpot had a different purchasing power at the time of its winning – meaning we can discern the single largest jackpot by its real value.
The largest ever EuroMillions jackpot, in real value, was not one of the three jackpot-cap winners. Instead, the accolade goes to Chris and Colin Weir, a Scottish couple who won €185 million in 2011. They received their winnings in sterling; a combination of inflation and a favourable exchange rate led to them receiving £161 million – in today’s money, £192.7 million, or a staggering €215 million if converted back into euros!
Portugal came a close second for largest EuroMillions prize win, after an anonymous player from Castel Branco won €190 million in October 2014 - €197.9 million in today’s money.
Most Consecutive Rollovers
When EuroMillions was launched in 2004, the jackpot was allowed to roll over for a maximum of 11 draws. If on the 12th draw the prize had not been won, it would be rolled down to the next prize tier and distributed equally amongst its winners. Since 2016, however, the jackpot is allowed to roll over indefinitely until reaching a jackpot cap of €190 million, after which it can roll over five more times before being rolled down.
As of the 12th September 2019, the record for most consecutive rollovers is 15 and counting. The jackpot for the upcoming Friday 13th EuroMillions draw is an estimated €160 million, having slowly snowballed from the minimum size of €17 million over two months of draws. The previous record was set in 2012 when a 14-rollover run was halted by Adrian and Gillian Bayford, who in 2012 became the first people in the UK to win the maximum jackpot of €190 million. Due to the exchange rate at the time, they received the prize in sterling at £148 million.
Most Jackpot Wins (Country)
As of September 2019, France and Spain are tied for most jackpot wins per country. Each country has seen 90 EuroMillions players match all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars in the lottery’s fifteen-year history. Collectively, they make up more than 40% of all EuroMillions jackpot winners.
