EuroMillions Odds Explained

How EuroMillions works

EuroMillions is a lottery shared by several European countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland. Each line has two parts. You choose five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. Draws are held every Tuesday and Friday, and in each draw five main numbers and two Lucky Stars are drawn from separate machines.

To win the jackpot, your line must match all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars. There are 13 prize tiers in total, so many smaller combinations of matches also win something.

Where the jackpot odds come from

The jackpot figure is simply the number of different lines you could possibly play. To work it out, you count the two parts separately and multiply them.

For the main numbers, the question is how many different groups of five can be made from 50 numbers when the order does not matter. The answer is 2,118,760. For the Lucky Stars, the question is how many pairs can be made from 12 numbers, which is 66.

Any group of five main numbers can be combined with any pair of Lucky Stars, so the total number of possible lines is 2,118,760 multiplied by 66, which equals 139,838,160. Only one of those lines matches the draw exactly, so a single line has a 1 in 139,838,160 chance of winning the jackpot.

EuroMillions odds for every prize tier

The odds for a single line in each of the 13 prize tiers are:

• 5 main numbers + 2 Lucky Stars: 1 in 139,838,160
• 5 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star: 1 in 6,991,908
• 5 main numbers: 1 in 3,107,515
• 4 main numbers + 2 Lucky Stars: 1 in 621,503
• 4 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star: 1 in 31,075
• 3 main numbers + 2 Lucky Stars: 1 in 14,125
• 4 main numbers: 1 in 13,811
• 2 main numbers + 2 Lucky Stars: 1 in 985
• 3 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star: 1 in 706
• 3 main numbers: 1 in 314
• 1 main number + 2 Lucky Stars: 1 in 188
• 2 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star: 1 in 49.27
• 2 main numbers: 1 in 21.90
• Any prize: 1 in 12.97

What these numbers mean in plain language

A chance of 1 in 139,838,160 is hard to picture. One way to think about it: if you bought one line in every single draw, two draws a week, you would expect to wait well over a million years on average before hitting the jackpot. Another: it is roughly ten times harder than matching all six numbers in a classic 6 from 49 lottery, where the odds are 1 in 13,983,816.

The lower tiers are much more approachable. Winning any prize happens about once in every 13 lines, which is why many players see small wins from time to time even though the top prize remains extremely unlikely.

Same odds as Eurojackpot, and why the stars matter

EuroMillions shares its number matrix with Eurojackpot, a separate lottery played in a different group of European countries. Both games ask for five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two extra numbers from 1 to 12, so the jackpot odds are identical in both: 1 in 139,838,160. The games differ in their operators, draw days and prize structures, but the underlying maths of the jackpot is the same.

The two Lucky Stars have a huge effect on the odds. Matching the five main numbers alone is 1 in 2,118,760. Adding the requirement to match both stars multiplies the difficulty by 66. This is also why the tiers look uneven at first sight: for example, 3 main numbers + 2 Lucky Stars is harder to hit than 4 main numbers with no stars. Getting both stars right is a 1 in 66 event on its own, so any tier that needs both stars is pushed further down the list.

Why no strategy changes your odds

Every EuroMillions draw is independent. The balls and machines have no memory of earlier results, so a number that appeared last week is not more likely to appear again, and a number that has been missing for months is not due. Believing otherwise is known as the gambler's fallacy.

This means systems based on hot and cold numbers, frequency charts, number spreads or personal lucky numbers do not improve your chances. Every possible line, including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with stars 1 and 2, has exactly the same 1 in 139,838,160 chance.

The only thing your choice can influence is how many other people pick the same line. Combinations based on birthdays, simple sequences or patterns on the playslip are popular, so if they win the prize is more likely to be shared. A random line, such as one from our random number generator, avoids those habits and may reduce the chance of splitting a prize. It does not make winning any more likely.

Play responsibly

The legal age to play lottery games varies by country, so check the rules where you live. Decide in advance how much you are comfortable spending and stick to that budget, whatever the result. Treat EuroMillions as entertainment, not as a source of income or a way to solve financial problems. For current rules, prize structures and results, always check the official EuroMillions operators in your country.

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