Euromillions Jackpot Surges to €141 Million — Here's When the Draw Happens

The Euromillions lottery has announced a staggering jackpot of €141 million for its upcoming draw, drawing attention from players across Europe who are eyeing the life-changing sum. The prize pool, which has been accumulating over several weeks of rollovers, represents one of the largest lottery prizes currently available anywhere in the world. Draw organisers confirmed the exact figure during a press briefing in Paris on Tuesday morning.

Jackpot Reaches Record Territory

The €141 million prize marks a significant milestone for the Euromillions game, which is played across nine European countries including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Switzerland. Players in those nations have until Tuesday evening to purchase tickets before the draw takes place at 8:45 PM Paris time. The lottery, operated jointly by the participating national lottery organisations, has created 19 multimillionaires in 2024 alone.

French lottery operator FDJ, which coordinates the Euromillions draws alongside its international partners, released the official jackpot announcement through its Paris headquarters. The current prize surpassed the €120 million mark three weeks ago but continued growing as no player matched all five main numbers plus the two Lucky Star numbers in successive draws.

How the Prize Accumulated

Euromillions jackpots start at a guaranteed €17 million and increase by approximately €5 million to €10 million after each rollover, depending on ticket sales. When the jackpot exceeds €200 million, it caps and the excess rolls down to boost secondary prize tiers. The current €141 million figure reflects strong ticket sales across all participating nations, particularly in Spain and the United Kingdom, where lottery participation traditionally peaks during periods of large jackpots.

The game requires players to select five numbers from a pool of 1 to 50, plus two Lucky Star numbers from a separate pool of 1 to 12. The odds of matching all seven numbers stand at approximately 1 in 139 million, making the current winner an extraordinary statistical outlier. Nonetheless, Euromillions has produced more than 300 jackpot winners since the game launched in 2004.

Where Previous Winners Came From

Geographical data from the European Lottery Association shows that UK players have claimed 15 Euromillions jackpots since 2012, the most of any single nation. France follows with 12 major wins, while Spain has produced nine jackpot winners during the same period. The diversity of winning nations underscores the pan-European appeal of the game and the random nature of number selection.

What Happens If No One Wins

Should no player match the full winning combination on Tuesday evening, the jackpot will roll over once more, potentially exceeding €150 million for the following draw. Euromillions rules permit jackpots to accumulate for an unlimited number of consecutive draws until someone wins, though the prize is capped at €250 million. When the cap is reached, excess funds automatically boost lower-tier prizes.

The mechanics of rollover accumulation create the dramatic prize growth that attracts widespread media coverage and spikes in ticket sales. Retailers across Europe typically report a 40 to 60 percent increase in lottery transactions during the final days before a major draw, according to data compiled by the European Gaming and Betting Association.

Tax Implications Vary by Country

Winners in different nations face varying tax treatments. In the United Kingdom, Euromillions prizes are paid tax-free, meaning a €141 million jackpot translates to the full amount in pounds sterling for a British winner. French winners must declare lottery gains as taxable income, though France applies a flat withholding rate rather than marginal income tax brackets. Spanish winners face a 20 percent tax on prizes exceeding €40,000, reducing the net payout for anyone claiming the full €141 million.

The disparity in tax treatment has occasionally sparked debate about harmonising lottery regulations across the European Union, though no coordinated policy changes are currently under discussion. Luxembourg, which joined the Euromillions consortium in 2016, offers its winners the most favourable tax treatment in Western Europe, with no withholding applied to lottery prizes.

Ticket Sales Channels

Players can purchase Euromillions tickets through authorised retail outlets in all nine participating nations, as well as through official online platforms operated by national lottery companies. The digital sales channel has grown steadily since 2015, now accounting for approximately 22 percent of total ticket sales across the consortium. Mobile app purchases have risen particularly sharply, jumping 35 percent year-on-year according to FDJ's annual report.

Irish players benefit from a special provision allowing them to purchase tickets through the official National Lottery website regardless of their physical location, a policy introduced following high demand during the 2022 €184 million jackpot run. Irish citizens resident abroad have successfully claimed prizes under this arrangement on three occasions.

Security and Verification Process

Each Euromillions draw is conducted under the supervision of a notary public and broadcast live from the draw studio in Paris. The mechanical number selection machines, manufactured by a Swiss company, undergo regular certification by independent testing laboratories to ensure randomness. Draw results are verified by three separate officials before being officially announced.

Winners have 90 days from the date of the draw to claim their prize, with the deadline strictly enforced across all jurisdictions. Unclaimed prizes are redistributed to the participating nations' good cause funds after the claim period expires, typically funding arts, sports, and environmental initiatives in each country.

What to Watch This Week

The draw scheduled for Tuesday evening will determine whether the €141 million prize finds a home or continues its climb toward the €200 million ceiling. Players across Europe are expected to flood retail outlets and online platforms over the next 36 hours, pushing ticket sales to their highest levels since the record €240 million jackpot was won in July 2022. That prize, claimed by a single ticket holder in the United Kingdom, remains the largest in Euromillions history. Whether this week's draw produces a winner or extends the rollover streak, the outcome will dominate headlines across the continent by Wednesday morning.