A series of changes to the prize structure of EuroMillions has occurred as of 1 February 2020. But what exactly is EuroMillions, and what are the changes?
What is EuroMillions?
EuroMillions is a lottery which takes place on Tuesday and Friday evenings every week. The lottery is open to people from Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
EuroMillions also includes Millionaire Maker. This is a supplementary draw which gives players an extra chance to win £1 million in every draw. There is a UK Millionaire Maker, as well as a European Millionaire Maker, which is open to European countries eligible for EuroMillions.
What are the EuroMillions changes?
Several changes have taken place, altering the prize structure. The EuroMillions changes include:
Increase in Jackpot Cap
Previously, EuroMillions had a jackpot cap of €190 million. Since the cap was set in July 2011, EuroMillions has reached this cap four times.
In order to allow for new records to be set, the jackpot cap has been increased to €200 million.
If a jackpot reaches €200 million, it will stay at this level for a maximum of four draws. If there are no winners in the fifth draw, the jackpot winnings will be split between those who have matched five numbers plus one Lucky Star.
Once someone has won the €200 million prize, the cap will increase by €10 million. The cap will continue increasing by €10 million every time someone wins the jackpot.
Money allocated to the jackpot
To help the jackpot accelerate quicker, the prize fund split has been altered. This alteration means the top jackpot will reach £100 million after eight rollovers rather than 11.
From 1 February, 50 percent of the prize money will go towards the jackpot from the first six draws, an increase from the previous 43.2 percent. After six draws, this amount will reduce to 42 percent, instead of the previous 27 percent.
To make up for this increase, the other 12 prize categories have been adjusted.
Changes in ticket price going to Millionaire Maker
While there has been no increase in the ticket price – tickets will still cost £2.50 per entry – there have been changes to how this price is divided between EuroMillions and Millionaire Maker.
Previously, £1.65 was allocated to EuroMillions and £0.85 to Millionaire Maker. Since 1 February, this has been changed to £1.74 to EuroMillions and £0.76 to Millionaire Maker.
More Superdraws to take place
This year you can expect to see more Superdraws take place. EuroMillions Superdraws are special draws which guarantee a nine-figure jackpot.
Superdraws are announced a month in advance, giving the jackpot time to increase. The size of the Superdraw jackpot does not change depending on the prize total from the previous draw.
If the Superdraw is not won, it will continue to roll until the jackpot cap is reached.
In 2020, at least three Superdraws are expected to take place. The first Superdraw of 2020 took place on 7 February.