This electrifying ‘new kid on the block’ lottery game, operated by GmbH & Co. OHG, was created in 2011 for countries not participating in the EuroMillions lottery. When it was first launched, it only had seven (7) participating countries, and over the years, that number has steadily accumulated to 17 countries.

Related Article: EuroMillions vs EuroJackpot – which comes out on top?

So, before we get into the jaw-dropping facts and figure, here is a history of this game;

The idea of the EuroJackpot lottery was conceived in 2006 to offer competition to the more established and successful EuroMillions lottery. EuroMillions’ success comes from the enormous jackpots it provides as compared to single national lotteries, as the game has a significant number of participating countries.

After seeing the success of EuroMillions, non-participating European countries met in Amsterdam in November 2011 to create the EuroJackpot lottery. These non-participant countries were Germany, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands and Slovenia, with Estonia joining after the negotiations.

Tickets to the EuroJackpot lottery were first sold on March 17, 2012, with its first draw being held on March 23, 2012.

Spain joined the EuroJackpot three (3) months after the first draw. The wave of countries joining in on the fun continued in February 2013 when Croatia, Latvia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden joined.

Since then, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia have all joined the EuroJackpot, and Poland was the last country to join in September 2017.

The purpose of creating the EuroJackpot lottery was to share the excitement of gigantic jackpots, and since its inception, this is what this fascinating game has offered. It has a rewarding starting jackpot of €10 million that can snowball to a remarkably hefty €90 million.

When it was launched, EuroJackpot had a 12 jackpot rollover cap, but it was too restrictive and changed in February 2013. The new jackpot rollover cap rule stipulated that the jackpot can rollover the overall until it reaches €90 million.

If the jackpot reaches the rollover cap without a winner, the excess funds raised from ticket sales are rolled down to the second-tier prize. The second-tier prize, or the “second jackpot”, can also roll over until it is won or reaches the €90 million cap.

Another change that has been implemented includes EuroJackpot’s gameplay. On Friday, October 10, 2014, the number of smaller numbers in the Perle machine, the “Euro Numbers”, were increased from eight (8) to 10. With this change, the chances of winning the jackpot decreased from 1 in 59,325,280 to 1 in 95,344,200.

The EuroJackpot lottery recorded its highest jackpot when a 50 member syndicate group won €92 million (approximately US $112 million) in August 2019.

Its previous highest recorded jackpot was €90 million, which was won by a lucky winner from the Czech Republic in May 2015. This was the first time the jackpot cap was reached, and since then, it has been reached on numerous occasions, creating many multi-millionaires.

The EuroJackpot lottery rolled over continuously from May 18, 2012, to August 10, 2012. When it reached the 12 jackpot rollover cap without being won, the entire €27,545,858 (approximately US $33 million) was rolled down the second prize tier.

This rolled down jackpot was eventually won by one (1) lucky winner from Germany who did not need to match the required seven (7) numbers. The German winner now holds the record for one of the biggest lottery winners in German lottery history.

The table below lists the biggest EuroJackpot winners to date;

One of the most common misconceptions about the EuroJackpot and EuroMillions lotteries is they are both the same. However, this could not be further from the truth.

Below are the key differences between EuroJackpot and EuroMillions;

So, here are some facts and figures that make EuroJackpot one of the world’s most intriguing lottery games;

The EuroJackpot lottery is designed for winners, as it pays out more prizes more frequently than its competitors. When you play the EuroJackpot lottery, you are almost twice as likely to win a massive prize than when you play the EuroMillions lottery.

But how is this possible? The answer lies in the chances of winning in the EuroJackpot lottery game.

The EuroJackpot offers astonishingly low chances of winning the jackpot, 1 in 95,344,200 compared to that of EuroMillions, which are 1 in 139,838,160.

Below is a table listing the chances of winning any EuroJackpot prize:

With such favourable chances of winning the jackpot, it is no wonder the EuroJackpot offers some of the world’s biggest jackpots.

The largest recorded jackpot paid out to date, and the highest possible under the current rule is €92 million won by a 50 member syndicate in August 2019.

The lottery has been in existence for centuries and has instantly transformed the lives of millions of players. However, that was not the only primary reason why lotteries were created.

They have always been used as means to raise funds to bolster government coffers, specific government projects and good causes. In China, Keno games were used to help fund the building of the Great Wall of China. While in the Western world, lottery games have been used to raise funds to help citizens in dire need to achieve their dreams.

An example of this is the EuroJackpot in the Netherlands that has pumped over €1.2 billion into Dutch sport.

An interesting fact about the EuroJackpot lottery is that the balls used for its draws are softer than a ping-pong ball.

You are probably asking yourself, “how did they achieve this?” Well, it is because synthetic polymers are used in the manufacturing of the balls.

When it comes to choosing your lucky EuroJackpot numbers, there are numerous ways you can pick them. You have the option of selecting them manually, use the Lotto247 Quick Pick method or pick them from previous draws.

Numbers that are frequently drawn are referred to as ‘hot’ numbers, while ‘cold numbers’ are those infrequently drawn. The EuroJackpot ‘hot’ numbers are; 1, 7, 10, 19, and 40, while 2, 24, 36, 48, and 50 make up the ‘cold’ numbers.

It is essential to keep in mind these numbers are subject to change as more draws are held.

Do you believe you are the next big EuroJackpot winner? There is only one way to achieve this: to play the EuroJackpot lottery game on Lotto247.

This article forms part of the EuroJackpot Resource Centre.