How to Play EuroMillions Around the World
As one of the biggest lotteries in the world, EuroMillions attracts millions of players to every draw. The jackpot regularly exceeds €100 million and can even get up to a maximum of €190 million, so it is no surprise that it captures the interest of lottery fans everywhere when it soars into nine figures. And the good news is that the game is available all over the planet. Here’s how you can take part:
Play in a Participating Country
EuroMillions is a transnational lottery, which means that tickets are sold in nine separate countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. If you live in one of these participating countries, it couldn’t be simpler to take part - there are thousands of authorised retailers where you can buy tickets, or you can play online. You just have to be the minimum age stated by the National Lottery operator for that country (which is 16 in the UK and 18 everywhere else) in order to purchase an official entry.
Even if you don’t live in one of those nine nations, you can still buy tickets if you are visiting somewhere that sells tickets. Whether you are on holiday in Paris or travelling to London or Madrid for business, you do not have to be a resident of the country to take part.
If you play EuroMillions while you are abroad, the main point to remember is that you must also claim any prizes you win in the same country where you bought your ticket. It is no good trying to receive your winnings in the UK if you purchased your ticket in Spain; they won’t be able to pay out as the game is run by a different National Lottery operator. You will either have to return to the country where you bought your ticket or, preferably, claim the prize before you leave. Go to the EuroMillions FAQs page to find out how long you have to claim prizes in each country.
Take Part Online From Abroad
If you don’t live in a participating country or have any trips planned, you can still enjoy EuroMillions from around the world without having to travel. The way that lotteries are played has evolved over the years; you are no longer limited to just entering the games staged where you are.
Nowadays there are lottery services that provide a route to playing big international games such as EuroMillions or Powerball in the U.S. They can work in a couple of different ways.
If you use a lottery concierge service, it means you are effectively getting someone else to buy a ticket on your behalf. You make your selections online and an agent of the concierge service will purchase your entries, as they will be based somewhere that sells tickets. You will be sent proof of purchase and can still win all the same prizes as if you had bought the ticket yourself.
Prizes will be paid straight into your account in the vast majority of cases, or you will be guided through the claims process if required. For example, when a woman from Panama won $30 million on the Florida Lotto in 2017, arrangements were made to fly her to the U.S. to pick up her winnings in person.
Other online services give you the opportunity to bet on the results of the lottery rather than purchase tickets. You still choose the same amount of numbers if you bet on EuroMillions - five main balls from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12 - and there are still just as many ways of winning prizes.
Benefits of Playing Online
There are several advantages to taking part online, whether you are playing from outside of the participating countries or not. As well as being able to choose your numbers from the comfort of your own home or whilst out and about, it is a far more secure mode of playing. With a paper ticket, you have to find a safe place to keep it and make sure you don’t forget about it.
Playing online, your numbers are stored securely until the draw takes place and then you are notified if you win a prize, rather than having to check for yourself. Winnings are automatically paid into your account so you don’t have to visit a retailer or claim centre to receive your money.
EuroMillions is played every Tuesday and Friday night and offers jackpots that start at €17 million. You need to match all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars to win the jackpot, and if there are no winners it rolls over to the next draw, up to a maximum of €190 million.
There are also 12 other prize tiers, plus supplementary games in each of the different countries that give you extra ways to win. In the UK Millionaire Maker, for instance, one ticket holder is guaranteed to pocket £1 million in every draw. Find out more about all the different EuroMillions Prizes up for grabs, and take part online in time for the next draw if you won’t be visiting a retailer. You can also check out the latest EuroMillions Results after every draw.