Why is the jackpot so high now?
230 million. A two, a three and seven (!) zeros. The numbers are dizzying. However, the amount at stake on Tuesday 5 July – 217,000,000 euros – was also impressive. Only then was there in none of the nine participating countries a player with five correct numbers and two correct stars, which kept the pot ticking. It is the biggest jackpot ever. The previous record dates back to October 15, 2021, when a French player won 220,000,000 euros.
What happens if there is already no winner in rank 1?
The jackpot cannot increase further: 230 million euros is currently the cap amount, so the amount will remain the same for the four draws that follow. If at the fifth drawing there is still no winner in rank 1, the sum will be divided among the winners in rank 2 or in the next rank with at least one winner. For the next draw cycle, the possible ceiling amount will be raised to EUR 240 million. If that pot ever falls, it can still rise to 250 million euros, but that is the absolute fixed maximum.
What is the real chance that I will win?
Admittedly, the chance is slim. With 2.5 euros you buy 1 chance of winning at 139,838,160 to win the big ticket. A small damper on the anticipation, because the chance of being struck by lightning is 70 times greater (one in two million). You are even more than twice as likely to give birth to quintuplets.
hmm. But suppose I do want to take a chance: until when is that possible?
For the Friday evening draw, you can play until 8 p.m. Friday.
Which numbers are the most common?
Which ball rolls out of the drum is purely coincidental. But the National Lottery does keep statistics of which figures are now the most frequent. The numbers 23, 42, 17, 38, 44 and 19 are the most frequently drawn numbers, appearing in more than 10 percent of draws. The least drawn numbers are 22, 33 and 18. And of all numbers, the number 41 has not been drawn the longest. Its last draw dates from February 18.
Suppose I win anyway, will that amount appear in my account in one go?
If you win a large amount, it is best to call the Winners guidance service of the National Lottery. The winnings are deposited in one go. “But it takes about a week before the money from the other participating lotteries arrives at the National Lottery,” says a spokesperson.
Do you have to pay taxes on that?
No, these amounts are exempt from tax in Belgium. But if you put it in a savings account, you will be taxed on the interest that the money earns.
Have many Belgians already hit the jackpot?
Since its inception in 2004, Belgium has already had 35 winners of the EuroMillions Jackpot. The biggest profit was for a street sweeper from Schaerbeek, who won 168 million euros in October 2018. The last big win in Belgium dates from August 2021, when a Flemish couple won an amount of 21,214,762 euros.
And what after. Do I share my great happiness? Or will I continue to work in silence without major changes?
“Be discreet” is as good as the maxim of both the National Lottery and asset managers. They advise sudden multimillionaires not to change their lifestyle too suddenly too drastically. Eating well, making beautiful trips, but continuing to work, for example. Nothing prevents you from giving away (part of) your profit, and a notary can certainly give advice about this.
How did the previous big winners go then?
Not all of them manage to keep their cool. A Frenchman who won 200 million euros last year testified anonymously in a French newspaper that his life is not so different from before. He had already retired, set up a charity, travels more often in his own country and only informed his loved ones. A Briton who won 191 million euros in 2011 together with his ex-wife, did it the other way around. Colin Weir appeared in the press for the win, bought into his favorite football club, gave millions to the Scottish independence campaign, bought spacious homes for himself and his friends, horses and five cars, but also gave a lot to charities and to his children.
Koppel wins over 200 million euros with Euromillions and their first purchase is… a second-hand Volvo
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