The EuroMillions played today isn't the game that launched in 2004. In just over 22 years it has grown from three countries to nine, from one draw a week to two, from 9 Lucky Stars to 12 and, in the UK, from £1.50 to £2.50 a line. Here are the main changes, in order, and what each one meant for players.
2004: three countries and one draw a week
The first EuroMillions draw took place in Paris on Friday 13 February 2004, with the UK, France and Spain. Players chose five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 9, there was one draw a week, on Fridays, and prizes were paid in 12 tiers. A UK line cost £1.50, and the odds of the jackpot were 1 in 76,275,360.
On 8 October 2004 Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland joined, bringing the total to the nine countries that still play today.
2009: £2 a line and a UK millionaire every week
In November 2009 the UK price went up to £2, and with it came the UK Millionaire Raffle, the forerunner of today's UK Millionaire Maker, guaranteeing a £1 million UK winner every week. The same month the jackpot got its first cap in euros, €185 million.
2011: the Tuesday draw, 11 Lucky Stars and a 13th tier
On 10 May 2011 EuroMillions held its first Tuesday draw, and it has been drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays ever since. At the same time the Lucky Stars went from 9 to 11, which lengthened the jackpot odds to 1 in 116,531,800.
The change came with a new bottom tier for matching just 2 main numbers. With 13 tiers, the chance of winning some prize improved from about 1 in 24 to about 1 in 13, the figure that still applies. With two draws a week, the UK Millionaire Raffle also made two millionaires a week.
2016: 12 Lucky Stars, £2.50 and new prizes
The biggest overhaul came in September 2016:
- A 12th Lucky Star, taking the jackpot odds to today's 1 in 139,838,160.
- A new UK price of £2.50, with the UK Millionaire Maker making two £1 million winners in every draw.
- A bigger starting jackpot, up from €15 million to €17 million.
- The European Millionaire Maker, whose first event, on 28 October 2016, made 25 millionaires across Europe.
How the jackpot odds have changed
The main numbers have always been five from 50, so every change to the jackpot odds has come from the Lucky Stars. Each extra star made the jackpot harder to win, so it rolls over more often and can grow bigger.
| Period | Lucky Stars | Jackpot odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–2011 | 9 | 1 in 76,275,360 |
| 2011–2016 | 11 | 1 in 116,531,800 |
| Since September 2016 | 12 | 1 in 139,838,160 |
The jackpot cap: from no limit to €250 million
No rule has changed more often than the cap. At first the jackpot could roll over indefinitely; today it has a ceiling, a limit on how long it can stay there and a rule that forces it to be paid out.
| When | Change |
|---|---|
| 2004 | No cap: the jackpot could roll over without limit |
| 2006 | First limit on how many times in a row the jackpot can roll over |
| November 2009 | First cap in euros: €185 million |
| January 2012 | The cap is set at €190 million |
| February 2020 | A rising cap: €200 million, going up €10 million each time it's reached, to a maximum of €250 million |
| 28 March 2025 | The first €250 million jackpot is won, in Austria |
Under today's rules the jackpot stays at €250 million for up to four more draws once it reaches the cap; if nobody wins it in the fifth, it rolls down to the next tier with a winner. The detail is in the EuroMillions jackpot.
2018 to 2024: HotPicks, a new age limit and a new operator
- January 2018: EuroMillions HotPicks, a UK-only game based on the main numbers, goes on sale.
- January 2019: the UK Millionaire Maker goes back to one guaranteed £1 million winner per draw.
- April 2021: the minimum age for all National Lottery games rises from 16 to 18.
- January 2022: the European Millionaire Maker makes 100 millionaires in one night for the first time.
- 1 February 2024: Allwyn takes over The National Lottery from Camelot, which had run it since 1994.
What hasn't changed since 2004
- Five main numbers from 1 to 50. Every change to the game has been to the Lucky Stars, never to the main numbers.
- The Friday draw. It's the original draw day and has never been dropped.
- Paris. Every EuroMillions draw has been held there.
- One shared jackpot for all the participating countries.
- Tax-free prizes in the UK, paid as a lump sum.
Timeline
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 13 February 2004 | First draw, in Paris, with the UK, France and Spain; 9 Lucky Stars, Fridays only, £1.50 a line in the UK |
| 8 October 2004 | Six more countries join, making nine |
| November 2009 | UK price rises to £2 and the UK Millionaire Raffle begins; first jackpot cap of €185 million |
| 10 May 2011 | First Tuesday draw; Lucky Stars go from 9 to 11; new tier for 2 main numbers |
| January 2012 | The jackpot cap is set at €190 million |
| September 2016 | 12 Lucky Stars, £2.50 a line, €17 million starting jackpot, European Millionaire Maker |
| January 2018 | EuroMillions HotPicks launches in the UK |
| January 2019 | UK Millionaire Maker: one guaranteed winner per draw |
| February 2020 | Rising cap from €200 million to €250 million |
| April 2021 | Minimum age of 18 for all National Lottery games |
| 21 January 2022 | First European Millionaire Maker with 100 prizes |
| 1 February 2024 | Allwyn becomes the operator of The National Lottery |
| 28 March 2025 | First €250 million jackpot won |
The records each stage produced are in the biggest EuroMillions wins.
Frequently asked questions
When was the first EuroMillions draw?
On Friday 13 February 2004, in Paris, with the UK, France and Spain. The first jackpot, €15 million, went to a ticket bought in France.
When did the Tuesday EuroMillions draw start?
On 10 May 2011. Until then EuroMillions was only drawn on Fridays.
How many Lucky Stars has EuroMillions had?
Three different pools: 9 from 2004, 11 from May 2011 and 12 since September 2016.
How much did EuroMillions cost when it started in the UK?
£1.50 a line. It went up to £2 in November 2009 and to £2.50 in September 2016.
When did Allwyn take over from Camelot?
On 1 February 2024, when the fourth National Lottery licence began. Camelot had run The National Lottery since 1994.
Last reviewed: . Independent information: official results are published by the lottery that runs the game.