Euromillions accumulates and rises to 217 million euros: How high can the jackpot grow?

At the end of the Euromillions special draw on Friday, December 1, with a historic jackpot of 200 million euros, we were all waiting to know the results of the draw. However, the big prize was a bit longer to come, as there were no winners matching the 5 numbers and the 2 stars of the draw (4 - 10 - 14 - 14 - 38 - 50 and the stars 9 - 12). Although there were 6 winners of the second prize (matching all 5 numbers, but only 1 of the 2 stars), each winning a prize of 266,632.98€.

What happened then with the jackpot? As we anticipated in previous posts, it accumulated from the 200 million, reaching the incredible figure of 217 million euros to be played in the draw this Tuesday, December 5, at 21:00h (Paris time). We remind you that it will be possible to buy bets to participate in the draw until one hour before.

And what will happen if there are no winners in Tuesday's draw either? The answer is that, once again, the jackpot would accumulate again, probably surpassing the 220 million barrier and even getting quite close to the current Euromillions record of 230 million euros.

But how long could the jackpot continue to accumulate? Those who usually play Euromillions know that it is an accumulative lottery, that is, if there are no winners, the jackpot increases its value again, adding up the proceeds for the next draw. But, unlike other lotteries with the same fame as Powerball or Mega Millions, where there are no barriers to the size that the jackpot can reach, in Euromillions there is a limit. Therefore, the first prize can grow draw by draw, but only until it reaches its maximum value.

Let's see step by step how the Euromillions jackpot works and what is the maximum value it could currently reach after the special draw of 200 million euros.

Euromillions minimum jackpot

The first thing to clarify is that Euromillions always guarantees a minimum jackpot of 17 million euros. This means that it will never be played for a lower amount. Therefore, every time the first prize is awarded, the next draw will be restarted with a minimum amount of 17 million euros guaranteed.

Euromillions current rules

The current Euromillions format is governed by rules that were modified in 2020, which are the ones that establish its current limit. Before 2020, the Euromillions limit was set at a maximum value of 190 million euros. However, as of 2020 the jackpot raised its limit to 200 million euros. But not only that; an additional rule was also incorporated, which states that, each time the draw reaches its maximum value, the limit would go up another €10 million to the next draw.

Therefore, the first time someone won the €200 million prize, on December 11, 2020, the jackpot limit went up to €210 million as of the next draw.

Why is there a limit in the EuroMillions lottery? The intention behind this rule is to be able to guarantee more attainable prizes among its players. If the jackpot had no limit, it could grow indefinitely until there was a winner, as it happens in other lotteries such as Powerball and Mega Millions where several months of draws can accumulate without a winner. Let's look for example at the case of Superenalotto, which went more than a whole year without winners after hundreds of accumulations.

And what happens when the EuroMillions limit is reached, how do you guarantee that there will be a winner? This is where one of the most interesting EuroMillions rules comes in, called the "Must be Won" draw.

Let's look at it in detail. Once the jackpot limit is reached, it remains fixed for a maximum of 5 consecutive draws. Thus, during the following 4 draws, if there is no winner, the sales proceeds of each draw, instead of accumulating in the first prize, go to the lower prize categories. And if, at the 5th draw, there is no winner either, the jackpot is distributed among the winners of the next category with correct numbers. In this way, it is guaranteed that someone will win the first prize once the limit has been reached.

The current EuroMillions limit

We have already understood how Euromillions rules work. Now it is necessary to confirm what is its limit value to date. The last time the maximum jackpot of Euromillions was reached was in July 2022, when a ticket sold in the United Kingdom won a record prize of 230 million euros. If we apply the rules recently explained about Euromillions, we will know that, after that win, the jackpot grew another 10 million euros. Therefore, the current EuroMillions limit is set at 240 million euros.

So, in the event that there were no winners in this Tuesday's draw, and the first prize would accumulate again in the following draws, we know that it could grow up to a maximum of 240 million. Once this figure is reached, if there are no winners, the first of the 5 "Must be Won" draws would begin.

But just one thing remains to be clarified about the EuroMillions rules. The new rules established in 2020, also put a cap on the EuroMillions jackpot cap. What does this mean? Well, that also the jackpot cap has a maximum limit. Although we said that every time it was reached, it grew another 10 million euros, this growth also has a limit, and it is that it can grow yes, but up to a maximum of 250 million euros.

Therefore, once the current limit of 240 million euros is reached, the jackpot will grow for the last time another 10 million euros up to its maximum limit of 250 million euros. Or at least until the Euromillions rules are changed again.

Summarizing: Key points about the EuroMillions jackpot limit

In summary, these are all the key points you should know about the Euromillions jackpot that is currently in play:

• Currently, the jackpot can grow up to the current limit of €240 million.
• Once the €240 million is reached, if there is no winner, the first prize will remain static for a maximum of 5 consecutive draws (applying the "Must be Won" rule). If on the 5th draw there are no winners, the jackpot is distributed among the winners of the next category with winners.
• When someone wins the jackpot of 240 million euros, the Euromillions limit will grow again by another 10 million euros, up to a maximum of 250 million euros.
• The current Euromillions rules state that the jackpot cannot grow more than 250 million euros.

We hope that the Euromillions rules have been made clear, and that you can now understand perfectly how this lottery limit works according to the current rules. Good luck in the next draw!