EuroMillions – Your Most Common Questions Answered

Updated: Tuesday 28th April 2020

The soaring value of the EuroMillions jackpot has attracted a lot of new players to the game, which has in turn led to quite a few people asking various questions how this pan-European lottery works. Ahead of tonight’s £113 million draw, some want to know whether the size of the jackpot affects the odds of winning, others have asked if EuroMillions winnings are taxable and some have been concerned about how Brexit will affect the game, if at all. To make life as easy as possible for all players, Lottery.co.uk has gathered together the most common questions received by our support unit, and you can find the answers below.

Do I have to pay tax on EuroMillions jackpots?

Whether or not EuroMillions jackpots are taxable depends entirely on the tax laws of the country in which one plays the game. At the time of writing, participants in several countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Switzerland, must pay tax on their winnings. Here in the UK, however, all lottery prizes are tax free, so if you are lucky enough to win a jackpot you will get to keep every penny of it.

Is it more difficult to win when the jackpot is higher?

The short answer to this question is no. The odds of winning the jackpot are determined solely by the number of balls that are used in the game, and since the number of balls used is fixed from draw to draw, so are the odds.

Can I play from overseas?

Lottery enthusiasts who are located in any one of the nine participating nations (France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK) can purchase a ticket from any authorised retail store in that country. However, it should be noted that any prize won must also be claimed in the same country as the one in which the ticket was purchased, so bear that in mind if you intend to buy a ticket whilst on holiday. Of course, you can also choose your numbers online.

Can I stay anonymous if I win?

The decision about whether or not a jackpot win is made public is one that is made by the legal owner of the ticket, and not the lottery organiser, so you can choose to go public or remain anonymous, as you prefer. Your fame, or anonymity, is in your own hands.

Do I win more if I go public?

There is no monetary reward for going public with a jackpot win, so your prize would remain the same whatever you decide. This ensures that players do not feel obliged to go public, or suffer any financial penalty for choosing to remain anonymous.

Will I still be able to play EuroMillions after Brexit?

The good news for all UK players who are concerned about this question is that they will indeed be able to continue to participate in EuroMillions. For further information on this topic, please see Will EuroMillions Change after the UK Brexit Vote?

When I play online, are my Millionaire Maker codes checked for me?

Yes. Perhaps the biggest advantage of buying tickets online (apart from the convenience of doing so) is that all of your numbers are automatically checked for both the main EuroMillions draw and for the associated Millionaire Maker draw in the UK. Should your ticket win any prize, you will be notified of that fact by email. Of course, you may also check your numbers yourself if you can’t wait for the email to arrive.

How come the same numbers turn up in the main balls and the Lucky Stars?

The EuroMillions game uses two separate pools of balls. The first pool contains the numbers 01 to 50, and five of those are drawn as the main numbers. The second pool contains the numbers 01 to 11, and two of those are drawn as the Lucky Stars. It is therefore perfectly possible that one or two numbers that are drawn as main numbers could also be drawn as the Lucky Star numbers.

If you would like even more information about Europe’s favourite lottery, you are invited to explore the EuroMillions section of this website, which covers all of the most important aspects of the game in some detail.

Published: Friday 26th May 2017

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