The advantages of the EuroMillions jackpot cap
In October 2021 the EuroMillions first prize was at €220 million (AUD$345 million) for a while.
Under the rules of the game, it had reached its maximum allowable first prize (the ‘jackpot cap’).
This in itself was truly astounding, but what if we were to tell you that this amount could have easily been won as second or even third division prizes? The cap can make this happen.
For each draw that the jackpot isn’t won, it increases for the following draw, until it reaches the cap.
But what happens if it isn’t won once the cap is reached?
The first prize doesn’t have to be won to win the jackpot!
The EuroMillions’ unique rules state that a jackpot can only stay at the maximum amount for 5 consecutive draws. In the 5th draw at the cap, the money MUST be won.
If there are no first prize jackpot winners on the 5th draw…
THEN IT’S GIVEN OUT TO THE NEXT PRIZE TIER THAT HAS A WINNER (or winners)!
This means that division 2 could take the whole prize out, and if there are no division 2 winners, which is not unusual, then division 3 gets the top prize.
That is an obscene amount of prize money for a ticket holder with a non-first division win.
Because the prize is so huge, even if it was to be shared amongst a few winners, each person would get to take home a massive amount. Even if there are 3 winners, that’s still around AUD$115 million each!
It gets better still
Want some more good news? For draws where the cap is in place, there is another special rule that means some non-jackpot prizes are massive!
This is because the money that would normally go towards increasing the jackpot is instead funnelled into the next division with a winner.
To demonstrate, the average 2nd division prize over the 2 draws before the cap was in place was AUD$956,000.
And the 2 draws once the cap was put in place?
AUD$4.6 million!
And just like that, winning millions became a lot easier.
So where are we now?
The jackpot was one by 1 lucky person in the 15th of October 2021 draw, taking home the entire first prize. Keep your eye on the EuroMillions jackpot cap in future, this unique feature is a great way to boost your chances of winning a substantial prize in this mega European lottery.
For each ticket you buy in a European Millions draw, we buy a ticket in the corresponding EuroMillions draw, and pay the exact value of winnings we collect to you for your winning ticket.
As a matching lottery for EuroMillions, it has the same jackpot cap and rolldown features as described above.
Jackpot cap to be increased to AUD$370 million!
As of July 21 2022, the jackpot cap has been increased to AUD$355 million (€240 million). It gets better! From there it will be gradually increased, until it reaches AUD$370 million (€250 million)! Outstanding!
FAQ
How high can the EuroMillions go?
The EuroMillions has a maximum jackpot of AUD$350 million. Each time the cap is reached, it will be extended by another €10 million (AUD$15 million) until it reaches AUD$400 million, where it will stay. When you buy a ticket in our European Millions lottery, we buy a matching ticket in an overseas EuroMillions draw. If there are any prizes on the EuroMillions ticket, we collect them, and we pay you the same amount that we collected.
When EuroMillions must be won
Once the EuroMillions reaches the jackpot cap (currently AUD$350 million), it can only stay there for 4 consecutive draws. If it's not won in the fifth draw at the cap, the jackpot prize is awarded to the next highest division that has at least 1 winner. This means it's possible that division 2 or even 3 could win the AUD$350 million jackpot! Our European Millions lottery follows the same jackpot cap system.
Why is EuroMillions capped?
The EuroMillions jackpot cap allows for lower divisions to win the jackpot if it’s not won for 5 consecutive draws when the cap has been reached. The EuroMillions cap is currently set at AUD$350 million and will gradually be increased until it reaches AUD$400 million. Our matching European Millions lottery shares the same jackpot cap system.
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