A lottery is a form of gambling that involves drawing a prize. The lottery is banned by some governments while others are supporting it to the point of running a state or national lottery. You will find some degree of regulation of the lottery by the governments. In several countries, governments themselves legalize lotteries.
Originating from the mainland during the time of the Roman Empire, lotteries were originally held as a form of entertainment. They were played at the dinner parties hosted by the wealthy in society. These lotteries included prizes such as tableware and were structured to ensure that each person won something. They were organized to distribute the gifts than to award prizes.
What Are The Major Lotteries In Europe
In 1539, France was one of the first countries to host the modern lottery game. It was started just like US lottery games and today it is to raise money for the state government. Europe is having a lot of lotteries that offer great prizes with good odds. The best thing about Lotteries in Europe is that it requires little money to buy the tickets.
There are some national lotteries such as Austria Lotto, Irish Lotto, and UK Lotto. Other transnational lotteries that are officially available across various countries are EuroMillions, Eurojackpot, and many more.
EuroMillions
Launched in February 2004, EuroMillions is a transnational lottery that is officially available in the eight countries. Initially, it was only available in UK, Spain, and France but due to its popularity, it was quickly incorporated into Switzerland, Portugal, Luxembourg, Ireland, Belgium, and Austria.
In 2009, the jackpot cap of 185 million euros was initially set which gradually increased over the years and reached 220 million euros. The jackpots are not as big as those offered by the US Mega Millions and Powerball. On the other hand, they are still some of the biggest jackpots in the world.
It is the norm of lotteries of the size that your odds are proportionately high. But if you want to play and win the game, you should be playing for the biggest to win.
People love this lottery game because of the following reasons:
- The biggest jackpots in all of Europe
- Two draws each week
- Easily available online
- Pot limit increases each time it is won
How To Play
The players have to choose five numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. To win the jackpot, the players have to match the first five numbers and two Lucky Stars. The main rule of the game is that the player should be 18 or above to purchase the tickets.
Winnings
- The biggest jackpot of all time: 210 million euros
- Minimum jackpot: 17 million euros
- Price levels: 13
- Official ticket price: € 2.50 per line
Eurojackpot
Eurojackpot is another transnational lottery that was launched to compete with EuroMillions in 2012. In 2017, 17 countries participated in the lottery. These countries were Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Norway, Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy, Iceland, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Czech Republic, and Croatia.
Over the years, the game has undergone two major changes such as the addition of two numbers to the bonus number pool and the removal of a drop-down clause. However, the limit of the jackpot at 90 million euros has been constant since its beginning.
This lottery game is loved by people because of the decent odds for the jackpot amount. Also, it is available in almost all European countries and easily available online.
How To Play
The players have to choose five numbers ranging from 1 to 50 with two additional numbers ranging from 1 to 10. When a player matches the seven main numbers, they win the lottery.
You must be 18 to purchase tickets.
Winnings
The biggest jackpot in the history of Eurojackpot is 90 million euros.
- Minimum jackpot: 10 million euros
- Price levels: 12
- Official ticket price: € 2 per line
Viking Lotto
Viking Lotto, launched in 1993 is known as the first transnational lottery in Europe. Currently, it is jointly in Belgium, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
From the beginning till 2017, it has remained unchanged. At that time, the game had a minimum jackpot amount of 3 million euros and instituted a jackpot of 35 million euros. However, the game still used the previous format that was used since the launch of the lottery game.
In addition to normal play, the lottery allows the system to play for you. This feature allows the players to multiply the number in a variety of combinations. It is a great way to improve the chances of winning but it can result in significantly higher prices of the ticket.
The decent and minimum jackpot and relatively cheaper ticket prices make it popular among people. Also, it is not limited to one country but it can be played in various European countries.
How To Play
Unlike other lottery games in Europe, people have to choose six numbers ranging from 1 to 48 along with a Viking number ranging from 1 to 8. To win the jackpot, the players have to match seven numbers.
Winnings
- Jackpot odds: 1 in 98,172,096
- Overall odds: 1 in 50
- The biggest jackpot in history: 44.3 million euros
- Minimum jackpot: 3 million euros
- Price levels: 6
- Official ticket price: varies from € 0.80 to € 10 depending on the country
Irish Lotto
Irish Lotto, was started in 1988 and originally had only 36 balls. After some changes in 2015, the previous format was replaced with new 47 balls. Also, two side draws were added in the game that allowed the players to win bigger prizes than before. The first of the Irish Lotto was added to the game in 2000 as Lotto Plus. The second version was debuted as Lotto Plus 2 in 2002.
The game is by far the most popular lottery game in Ireland. It is regularly played by people in the country and abroad. The two secondary draws make it popular among the people. Also, there are tax-free prizes and no jackpot or accumulation limit. Also, it is easily available online where people can participate in the lottery game and win prizes.
How To Play
Players have to choose six numbers from 1 to 47 and to win the jackpot, they have to match six numbers. The overall odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 10 million.
Winnings
- The biggest jackpot in the history of Irish Lotto is 18.96 million euros.
- The minimum jackpot is 2 million euros in the lottery
- There are 8 price levels.
- The official ticket price is € 1 per line
Major Lotteries in Europe – National and Transnational
Other than European transnational lotteries, some national lotteries are played by national citizens and international citizens across the world. These online lotteries make it easier for everyone to participate in the game and win prizes or jackpots with minimal investment. The rules of the games are the same as the lotteries played in the United States.
Major lotteries in Europe are EuroMillions and Eurojackpot that are limited to some of the countries but they have massive jackpots. On the other hand, some other lotteries in Europe are played in multiple countries other than Europe because of their online availability.