Record EuroMillions Jackpot Guaranteed To Be Won By Tuesday
Last Updated: Thursday 29th July 2021, 13:30 pm
After rolling over for two and a half months, the joint-largest EuroMillions jackpot in history is about to be paid out. The rules of the game dictate that it must be won by Tuesday 8th October at the latest, and you might not even have to match all the numbers to land a share of the money.
The top prize has now been at its jackpot cap of €190 million for three draws in a row ahead of Friday night’s game. It is only allowed to remain at this maximum level for four draws, before it then must be won in the fifth draw at €190 million.
That ‘Must Be Won’ draw will happen on Tuesday 8th October if there is another rollover on Friday, ensuring that at least one lucky player from across Europe will be celebrating a record win. If there are no jackpot-winning tickets on Tuesday, the money will roll down and be shared between everyone who matches five main numbers and just one of the Lucky Stars.
The odds of winning in the Match 5 + 1 Lucky Star category are around 20 times better than the chances of matching all the numbers. Combining the improved odds with the biggest jackpot of all time, there can never have been a better time to play Euromillions.
The jackpot cap has already helped to bring about more big prizes in the second category, as the money that would ordinarily have gone on top of the €190 million has instead been added to the fund for ‘Match 5 + 1’ winners in the last few draws. On Tuesday 1st October, for example, seven players in this second tier won €2.2 million each.
More Millionaires Expected
A spokesperson for the Irish National Lottery said: “The EuroMillions community estimates that approximately €17million in additional prize money will be distributed to the next tier with a prize winner. For our players that means there is the opportunity to win €190m at the jackpot but also the possibility to win a share of that €17million, so it is very likely that more millionaires will be created this Friday whether the jackpot is won or not.”
Lottery officials are expecting a late surge in ticket sales and have advised players to take part early to avoid the disappointment of missing out, whether playing online or in-store.
Ireland has a history of crowning big winners, and the largest jackpot to have been given away so far this year went to a family from Co Dublin. The lucky syndicate scooped a sensational €175 million back in February, coming forward just a couple of days later and describing it as a ‘dream come true’.
Irish players have won €232 million in total prize money on EuroMillions since the start of 2019, with hundreds of thousands of players from the country likely to snap up prizes in the next couple of draws.
Draws take place at approximately 8pm and you can find the latest winning numbers on the EuroMillions Results page straight afterwards, with a prize breakdown expected around an hour later. Use the EuroMillions Checker to see whether you are a big winner.
