EuroMillions is one of Europe’s most popular lottery games, attracting millions of players and multi-million jackpots every week. Behind each draw lies a carefully regulated and supervised process designed to ensure that numbers are selected completely randomly and transparently. This guide explains step by step how the draw works, the machines and systems involved, and some key facts every player should know, whether you’re playing for the first time or you’ve been buying tickets for years.
A brief history of EuroMillions
EuroMillions launched on 7 February 2004, with the first draw taking place in Paris. The lottery was created through a partnership between three national lottery operators: Française des Jeux (France), Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (Spain), and Camelot (United Kingdom, now operated by Allwyn UK). The aim was straightforward: create a shared jackpot pool large enough to offer prizes that no single national lottery could sustain on its own.
Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland joined the game shortly after launch, expanding the player base across Europe and making the jackpots significantly larger. Since then, EuroMillions has paid out some of the biggest lottery prizes ever recorded on the continent.
Which countries participate in EuroMillions
EuroMillions currently operates across nine European countries. Each country has its own licensed lottery operator that sells tickets and manages prize payments at a national level. The participating countries and their operators are:
- United Kingdom – Allwyn UK (formerly Camelot)
- France – Française des Jeux (FDJ)
- Spain – Loterías y Apuestas del Estado
- Austria – Österreichische Lotterien
- Belgium – Loterie Nationale / Nationale Loterij
- Ireland – National Lottery
- Luxembourg – Loterie Nationale
- Portugal – Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
- Switzerland – Swisslos and Loterie Romande
While the core game is identical across all nine countries, some operators offer exclusive national add-ons alongside the standard EuroMillions ticket. Ireland offers a Plus option, which gives players a second chance to win from an Irish prize pool. France has My Million, a supplementary draw that guarantees at least one French millionaire per draw. Portugal runs M1lhão, which works in a similar way for Portuguese players. These add-ons are purchased separately and do not affect the main EuroMillions draw.
How much does a EuroMillions ticket cost
The standard price for a single EuroMillions entry varies slightly by country due to currency and local adjustments, but the base cost is consistent across the game:
- €2.50 in eurozone countries (France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal)
- £2.50 in the United Kingdom
- CHF 3.50 in Switzerland
Each entry covers one combination of five main numbers and two Lucky Stars. If you want to play more combinations, the cost increases accordingly. Some operators also offer system entries or subscription options, but the price per line remains the same.
How EuroMillions works
Choosing your numbers
Each ticket requires players to select 5 main numbers from 1 to 50 and 2 Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. You can pick your numbers manually, ask for a Lucky Dip (or Quick Pick, depending on your country), or use a combination of both. There is no strategy that improves your odds, since every combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn. The number selection is entirely down to personal preference.
When and where draws take place
Draws are held twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday. The draw takes place in Paris, France, at approximately 21:05 GMT+1. Results are published shortly after and are available on operator websites, the EuroMillions official site, and through apps and retail outlets in each participating country.
The draw is broadcast live and publicly, which is a key part of ensuring transparency. Anyone can watch the process in real time, and results are confirmed officially once the draw is complete and validated.
The draw process: how the numbers are selected
The actual draw uses physical lottery machines filled with numbered balls. This is not a digital random number generator. The process relies on air-mix machines that blow balls around a chamber before selecting them one by one through a tube. The physical randomness of the ball movement is what determines the outcome.
The machines used in the draw
The draw machines are manufactured by French company Ryo Catteau, a specialist in lottery draw equipment. Two separate machines are used in each draw:
- The Stresa model is used to draw the five main numbers (from the pool of 50 balls).
- The Pâquerette model is used to draw the two Lucky Stars (from the pool of 12 balls).
Using two separate machines for the two number pools adds an extra layer of separation between the draws and helps ensure that neither set of results is influenced by the other.
Balls: size, weight and certification
All balls used in the draw are manufactured to identical size and weight. This is not just a formality. If any ball were even slightly heavier or lighter than the others, it would affect how it moves through the machine and could distort the randomness of the draw. Strict manufacturing tolerances are applied, and balls are regularly inspected and replaced to maintain their integrity.
Before each draw, balls are weighed and measured as part of the standard verification process. Any ball that falls outside the accepted tolerance is removed and replaced before the draw begins.
Security and supervision
Independent auditors
Every draw is supervised by independent auditors who are present at the draw location in Paris. Their role is to verify that the machines are functioning correctly, that the correct number of balls are loaded, and that the draw follows all required procedures. Their presence is a formal requirement, not an optional extra.
After the draw, auditors confirm the results officially. Only once this validation is complete are the numbers published and prizes confirmed.
Cameras and sensors
Sensors and cameras record every movement during the draw. This footage is retained and can be reviewed if any dispute arises. The combination of live broadcast, on-site auditors, and recorded footage means the draw process is verified from multiple independent angles.
Regulatory oversight by each participating country
Beyond the draw itself, regulatory authorities in each participating country oversee the process. Each national operator is licensed and regulated by its own government body, and all operators must comply with the rules set out in the EuroMillions operating agreement. This creates a multi-layered system of oversight that no single party controls alone.
Machine inspections
The Ryo Catteau machines are subject to regular inspections between draws. These checks confirm that the machines have not been tampered with and that all mechanical components are working within specification. Machines are also tested with practice draws before the live event, allowing operators to catch any mechanical issues before they affect the real draw.
Ensuring true randomness
The main objective of the draw is to guarantee that every number has exactly the same chance of being selected. Several systems work together to achieve this:
- Machines and balls meet strict international certification standards.
- External audits confirm that there are no biases or mechanical faults.
- Each draw is completely independent, meaning numbers drawn in previous draws have no effect on future results.
- No human operator has any control over which balls are selected once the machine is running.
This independence between draws is important to understand. Some players track “hot” or “cold” numbers, meaning numbers that appear frequently or rarely. While this can be an interesting way to choose numbers, it has no predictive value. The machines have no memory of past draws. Each ball has the same probability of being selected every single time.
Interesting facts about EuroMillions draws
Although some players believe in lucky numbers, each combination of five main numbers and two Lucky Stars has exactly the same mathematical probability of being drawn. Here are a few facts worth knowing:
- There are over 139 million possible combinations in EuroMillions. The odds of matching all seven numbers for the jackpot are 1 in 139,838,160.
- The jackpot has a cap of €250 million. If the cap is reached and not won, the prize money rolls down to the next winning tier.
- Draws have been held continuously since February 2004, with no draw ever cancelled or invalidated due to a technical fault in the machines.
- The use of physical ball machines rather than digital random number generators is a deliberate choice. Many players and regulators trust the transparency of a visible, physical draw more than an algorithm.
- Multiple sets of machines and balls are kept in reserve at the draw location in case a fault occurs before or during the draw.
What this means for players
Understanding how the draw works does not change your odds, but it does give you confidence that the game is fair. The combination of certified machines from Ryo Catteau, independent auditing, live broadcast, regulatory oversight across nine countries, and rigorous ball testing creates one of the most closely monitored lottery draws in the world.
Every draw on Tuesday and Friday at around 21:05 GMT+1 in Paris follows the same process. Whether the jackpot is €17 million or €230 million, the machines work the same way and the standards do not change.
If you want to check results after a draw, visit the results section of this site. Results are updated as soon as they are officially confirmed, so you can see whether your numbers came up without delay.
