EuroMillions is played in nine countries with one shared draw and one shared prize fund, but in the UK the game is run by Allwyn for The National Lottery, under rules and game procedures overseen by the Gambling Commission. These are the rules that decide whether you can play, what you can win and how long you have to claim it.
Who can play
You must be 18 or over to buy a EuroMillions ticket in the UK, and Allwyn won't pay a prize on a ticket bought by anyone younger. You also have to be in the UK or the Isle of Man when you buy. Allwyn won't pay a prize on an entry bought from anywhere else, and a ticket bought in the UK can only be claimed from Allwyn.
The detail is set out in two sets of documents on The National Lottery website: the Rules for Draw-Based Games and the EuroMillions Game Procedures, in one version for tickets bought in shops and another for playing online (where the Account Terms also apply). If they ever disagree, the Rules take priority.
What counts as an entry
An entry is five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12, chosen by you or by Lucky Dip. It costs £2.50, of which £1.74 is the EuroMillions entry and 76p the UK Millionaire Maker entry. The UK Millionaire Maker is only available in the UK and the Isle of Man, and the two games can't be bought separately.
There are no system or multiple entries: each line is exactly five numbers and two Lucky Stars. Online, if you ever get two identical Lucky Dips for the same draw, you can call Customer Care within 120 minutes of buying them (or before sales close, if that's sooner) and Allwyn may refund the duplicate.
When the draws take place
Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday, unless there are exceptional circumstances. To play in a draw you must buy before 7.30pm that day, and you can play up to eight draws in advance. In exceptional cases, such as a serious disruption to ticket sales, Allwyn can postpone a draw and keep selling tickets for it after the usual cut-off.
How prizes are worked out
Each line wins only one prize: the one for the highest tier it matches. Prizes aren't fixed amounts. Half the price of the EuroMillions entry goes into prizes, and each operator puts €1.10 per entry into a Common Prize Fund shared by all nine countries, which is split between the 13 tiers in fixed percentages. How much you win therefore depends on ticket sales, on how many people match the same numbers and on exchange rates.
Two consequences are worth knowing. If a tier has no winners (other than the jackpot), its money goes to the next tier down that does. And if a tier has far more winners than usual, it can end up paying less than a lower one. The full table of tiers is in EuroMillions prizes.
Because UK players pay £1.74 for their EuroMillions entry and not €2.20, Allwyn balances the difference on the day of each draw: if £1.74 is worth more than €2.20, the extra is added to UK prizes below the jackpot; if it's worth less, those prizes are reduced. The jackpot itself is the same for everyone.
The reserve fund
A share of the Common Prize Fund is set aside in the EuroMillions Reserve Fund: 10% in the first five draws of a rollover series and 18% from the sixth draw onwards (and in Superdraws). The reserve is used to guarantee and boost jackpots, to top up other prizes with the Gambling Commission's consent and to pay for promotions such as the European Millionaire Maker.
The jackpot and the €250 million cap
The jackpot can't go above €250 million. When it reaches the cap it stays there, and any money that would have taken it higher rolls down to the next tier with at least one winner. Once at the cap, the jackpot can roll four more times; if nobody wins it in the fifth successive draw at the cap, the whole jackpot fund rolls down to the next tier with a winner.
Allwyn and its partners can also turn any draw into a Superdraw with a guaranteed minimum jackpot, and they can change the level of the cap. How the jackpot grows is explained in the EuroMillions jackpot.
Claiming and the 180-day deadline
Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw. After that they're forfeited, and unclaimed prize money goes to National Lottery good causes. If your ticket is lost, stolen or damaged, you need to tell Allwyn in writing within 30 days of the draw. All the steps are in how to claim a EuroMillions prize.
What the rules don't allow
- Choosing your UK Millionaire Maker code: it's generated by Allwyn's computer system.
- Cancelling an online entry once you've confirmed your play slip.
- Claiming from Allwyn a ticket bought abroad, or claiming a UK ticket from another country's lottery.
- Buying a ticket if you're under 18, even for someone else.
- Using a play slip as proof of entry: only the printed ticket, or the entry in your online account, counts.
Frequently asked questions
How old do you have to be to play EuroMillions in the UK?
18. The minimum age for all National Lottery games rose from 16 to 18 in April 2021.
Can one line win more than one EuroMillions prize?
Not in EuroMillions itself: each line wins only the highest tier it matches. The UK Millionaire Maker is a separate game, though, so the same ticket can win a EuroMillions prize and the £1 million Millionaire Maker prize.
What happens to the money if nobody wins a prize tier?
If nobody wins the jackpot, it rolls over to the next draw. For any other tier, the money is added to the next tier down that has at least one winner.
Can the EuroMillions rules change?
Yes. Allwyn and the other operators can change things such as the jackpot cap, and Allwyn can withdraw the UK Millionaire Maker by giving at least four weeks' notice.
Where can I read the official rules?
On national-lottery.co.uk, which publishes the Rules for Draw-Based Games and the EuroMillions Game Procedures for both online and in-store play.
Last reviewed: . Independent information: official results are published by the lottery that runs the game.