€1 Million to be Won in the Ireland Only Raffle on Friday 3rd August
Last Updated: Tuesday 27th September 2022, 09:39 am
It’s that time again. On Friday 3rd August one lucky player in Ireland is guaranteed to become a millionaire in the latest special edition of the EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffle. Ten prizes of €5,000 will be given out as usual, but one of those winners will also win an additional €1 million.
Ireland Only Raffle Costs Nothing
The August raffle will be the fourth this year to give out a special prize, after draws in March, June and July. If you buy a ticket in the Republic of Ireland for the EuroMillions draw on 3rd August, you will automatically be entered into the raffle and will receive a unique code printed on your ticket. You get a code for every line of numbers you buy, so the more you play, the more chances you have to win.
As it’s a raffle, the odds of winning depend on how many entries there are, but seeing as you’re entered automatically with every purchase of a EuroMillions ticket, you’re essentially getting a free chance to become a millionaire. Many of the nations that participate in EuroMillions offer supplementary raffles like this, and they’re generally funded by the revenue from ticket sales in the relevant country.
The Ireland Only Raffle is played alongside every EuroMillions draw, but in the standard raffles only ten €5,000 prizes are awarded. The special versions of the raffle, which offer the €1 million prize, are not scheduled for any specific date but take place several times a year. The Irish National Lottery will announce ahead of time when one is due to take place.
Previous Winners of the Ireland Only Raffle
There were four special Ireland Only Raffle draws in 2017 and three have been held so far in 2018, not including the one scheduled for August. The most recent €1,005,000 prize was won by an anonymous syndicate of work colleagues from Co. Galway in the raffle on 6th July. Not much is known about the winners, as they admitted that they had even kept the win secret from other people at work.
“Absolutely nobody in work knows that we have won a million euros between us,” the syndicate leader said. “Once I checked the ticket I started ringing each member of the syndicate and their reaction was a mixture of pure shock and elation.” The group looked forward to paying off mortgages and buying new cars and luxury holidays.
A pensioner from Dublin, who also chose to remain anonymous, was made a millionaire in the raffle on 16th March 2018. The retiree bought a Quick Pick ticket from the CostCutter store in Windy Arbour, Dundrum, on the Tuesday before the draw, and at first he didn’t realise he had won a million. “I hadn’t a notion that I’d won it!”, he said.
“I checked my tickets in my local store over the weekend and the shopkeeper told me I won something but I didn’t know what. I was delighted when I learned I had won. It’s massive news to take in so will take some time out to consider what this win will do for me and my family. One thing is for sure, I will be enjoying time in a sunnier climate. I won’t be leaving for good but I’ll be able to spend at least six months of the year abroad. I definitely won’t miss the Irish winters”
The EuroMillions jackpot is up to €47 million for the draw on Friday 27th July, and it will be worth in excess of €50 million if no one wins it before next Friday, when the special Ireland Only Raffle is due to take place.
