What Is Eurojackpot and How Is It Different from Euromillions
If you've ever wondered what the difference is between Eurojackpot and Euromillions, here's your complete answer.
Two European lotteries. Two massive jackpots. Two draws this week. And a whole lot of people who confuse them — or don't even know both exist at the same time.
If you've ever wondered what the difference is between Eurojackpot and Euromillions, here's your complete answer. And if you already knew about both, what you read next might make you rethink which one suits you better.
What Is Eurojackpot?
Eurojackpot is a European lottery that launched in 2012 and now brings together 18 participating countries, including Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, and several Eastern European nations. Draws take place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, in Helsinki.
To play, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 50 and 2 additional numbers from 1 to 12, known as Euro Numbers. To win the jackpot, you need to match all 5 main numbers plus both Euro Numbers. But there are up to 12 prize tiers, so you don't need to get everything right to win something.
The minimum Eurojackpot jackpot starts at €10 million and has a maximum cap of €120 million. If nobody wins the jackpot when it's already at the cap, that money rolls down to the lower prize tiers — meaning those weeks see a spike in the chances of winning a solid amount in secondary categories.
And Euromillions?
Euromillions is the most popular transnational lottery in Europe, running since 2004 and played across 17 countries, Spain included. Draws are also on Tuesdays and Fridays, though held in Paris.
Here you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 50 and 2 Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. The mechanics are almost identical to Eurojackpot — and that's precisely what makes them so easy to mix up.
The Euromillions jackpot starts at €17 million and can climb all the way to €250 million, the highest ceiling of any European lottery.
The Key Differences, at a Glance
| Eurojackpot | Euromillions | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch year | 2012 | 2004 |
| Participating countries | 18 | 17 |
| Main numbers | 5 from 50 | 5 from 50 |
| Additional numbers | 2 Euro Numbers (1-12) | 2 Lucky Stars (1-12) |
| Draw days | Tuesday & Friday | Tuesday & Friday |
| Minimum jackpot | €10 million | €17 million |
| Maximum jackpot | €120 million | €250 million |
| Odds of winning the jackpot | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 139,838,160 |
| Prize tiers | 12 | 13 |
The mathematical odds of winning the jackpot are exactly the same in both. But there's one difference many players overlook: Eurojackpot has a €120 million cap, which means when it gets there, the money "spills down" to lower tiers. In Euromillions the jackpot can keep growing to €250 million, producing historic prizes — but also weeks and weeks without a winner.
Which One Is More Likely to Pay Out Mid-Tier Prizes?
This is the question that really matters for most players. And the answer is that Eurojackpot, with its lower jackpot cap, tends to produce jackpot winners more frequently than Euromillions. On top of that, with 12 prize tiers, the chances of walking away with something — even if it's not the top prize — are very real.
In the last Eurojackpot draw (Friday, June 12th), for example, there were 4 second-tier winners who each took home over €500,000, 13 third-tier winners with more than €87,000 each, and nearly 100,000 people who won a prize in the lower categories.