The EuroMillions ticket

Filling in a play slip in a shop

1. Choose the day you want to play: Tuesday, Friday or both.
2. Choose how many weeks to play for, up to four weeks in advance.
3. On each line you want to play, mark five numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12, or mark the Lucky Dip option for a random selection.
4. Take the play slip to the till and pay £2.50 per line, per draw.
5. Check the printed ticket before you leave: the numbers, the draw dates and the price.

The play slip itself isn't proof of anything: only the printed ticket counts as evidence of your entry. If you'd rather not fill in a slip, you can simply ask for a Lucky Dip at the counter.

Lucky Dip: let the system choose

A Lucky Dip is a set of five main numbers and two Lucky Stars chosen at random by the computer system. It's the quickest way to play and it has exactly the same chance of winning as numbers you choose yourself. Random lines also tend to avoid the patterns many people play, such as birthdays or runs of numbers, which matters only in one way: if you win, you're less likely to share the prize.

What's printed on your ticket

• Your numbers: the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars for every line you've played.
• The draw dates the ticket is valid for.
• A UK Millionaire Maker code for each line: four letters and five numbers. On a ticket for several draws, the same code is entered into every Millionaire Maker draw the ticket covers.
• The price you paid.
• The ticket's serial number, plus a code that retailers and The National Lottery app can scan.

The serial number matters more than it seems: to win the UK Millionaire Maker, your code and your ticket's serial number must match the winning entry in Allwyn's records. That's one reason a damaged ticket can cause problems.

Playing online: your entries in 'My games'

Online, the play slip starts with four lines and you can add or remove as many as you like. You choose your numbers or a Lucky Dip for each line, pick Tuesday, Friday or both and the number of weeks, or set up repeat play by Direct Debit. You can also save favourite numbers to reuse.

Once you confirm the play slip, your entries appear in the 'My games' section of your account, along with your UK Millionaire Maker codes. That's your confirmation, and there's nothing to lose. Entries can't be cancelled after you've confirmed them.

Checking your ticket

After the draw, enter your lines in our ticket checker: choose the draw date (or a date range for a ticket that covers several draws) and it tells you the matches and prize tier for each line. Our checker can't scan UK tickets yet, so you'll need to type your numbers in. The winning UK Millionaire Maker code for each draw is on our results page.

You can also scan a paper ticket with The National Lottery app, or ask any National Lottery retailer to check it for you.

Lost, stolen or damaged tickets

If you think a lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged ticket would have won, tell Allwyn in writing as soon as possible. Your notice must arrive by 5pm on the 30th day after the draw and should include your name, address, email and phone number, when and where you bought the ticket, the draws it was for, how many lines you played, your numbers and what you think happened to it.

Send it to Allwyn's Winner Services Department, The National Lottery, PO Box 287, Watford, WD18 9TT, or by email to [email protected]. Allwyn may then investigate and, if it's satisfied the claim is valid, pay the prize after the claim period for that draw has ended. A damaged ticket can be posted to the same address, at your own risk.

A few habits help: keep your ticket somewhere flat and dry, check it after every draw and don't throw it away until the last draw it covers has taken place.

Frequently asked questions