EuroMillions vs. EuroJackpot: A Detailed Comparison

EuroMillions and EuroJackpot are both excellent lottery games with jackpot winnings guaranteed to remove the fiscal worries of any victors lucky enough to beat the odds. As this article will examine, in certain ways these two lottery games top each other. For example, while EuroMillions might have bigger prizes than EuroJackpot, the odds of winning are also higher (meaning they are stacked against you as a player).

Continue reading this post to learn the details of each lottery and decide for yourself which one you should play.

EuroMillions

History: EuroMillions was organized by France, the United Kingdom, and Spain back in February 2004. Within the same year, it had included Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Switzerland to its roster. Official tickets are only sold in kiosks located in these countries.

Highest Jackpot: EuroMillions paid out a whopping €190 million to a lucky winner from Portugal in 2014.

Draw Times: Tuesdays and Fridays 21:00 CET

Cost Per Entry: €2.50

Odds of Winning: 1 in 13 for any prize. To match all seven numbers, including the Lucky Stars, players face odds of 1 in 139,838,160.

EuroJackpot

History: It was proposed in 2006 by Germany, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Italy, and the Netherlands after seeing the immense success of EuroMillions. Over the years, the game has included Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (who is also a EuroMillions member), Sweden, and Poland. Official entries can only be purchased in these countries.

Highest Jackpot: A lucky German player won €90 million in October 2016.

Draw Times: Friday 20:00 EET

Cost Per Entry: €2.30

Odds of Winning: 1 in 12 for any prize. The chances of matching all seven numbers are 1 in 95,344,200.

Format Similarity

EuroMillions uses five primary game numbers and two Lucky Stars. EuroJackpot uses five lottery digits and two Euroball figures. The only difference is the Euroballs are numbered from 1-10, which is a smaller range from EuroMillions Lucky Stars' range of 1-12. Both lotteries also draw on Friday, but an hour apart from each other. Ticket prices are also very close to each other, with Euromillions costing €2.48 per entry and Eurojackpot €2.48.

Major Differences Between the EuroMillions and EuroJackpot lotteries

Jackpot Cap

EuroMillions rolls over its winnings every week until its jackpot reaches €190 million. After two weeks, the organizers will start to decrease the prize amount.

Meanwhile, EuroJackpot's cap is at €90 million, which will maintain its value until after the second week it has reached the cap.

Odds of Winning

The bigger the jackpot prize, the tougher the odds players have to beat.

EuroMillions gives players a 1 in 139,838,160 chance to win the top tier.

EuroJackpot grants participants relatively better odds to win the jackpot, with 1 in 95,344,200.

Schedule

In addition to a Friday draw, EuroMillions has an extra Tuesday draw as well.

EuroJackpot, however, only has a Friday draw.

Verdict

Here are some major factors to keep in mind when choosing between playing EuroMillions or EuroJackpot:

Country of Origin

If you are currently living in Spain, you can purchase official entries for both lotteries because Spain is the only country that is a member of both games. If not, you can still play from a non-member country using online lottery platforms, but you can always buy a physical entry to the game your country is a member of.

Frequency of Winning

EuroMillions offers jackpots comprising mind-numbing amounts of millions that many winners would not be able to spend in their lifetimes (unless they are foolish and throw their money around), but its odds prevent jackpot winners from claiming such prizes too often. EuroJackpot was designed to pay out its top prize more often. Even its lower-tier amounts pay out frequently, which explains the cap and the smaller odds.

Schedule

Joining two draw dates in EuroMillions is an excellent way to play for avid participants. If you are not quite the type of player who needs to play religiously and find that the prize amounts are quite enough for your needs, then EuroJackpot's Friday draws should suffice.

Whichever lottery you choose, both European lotteries will reward you handsomely if you are one of the luckiest people in the world who can beat the very high odds of each game. The best way to know which one can work for you is to join each one once or twice, and see if you feel the excitement and thrill from either or both games. In the end, choose the one that you enjoy (and hopefully win at) the most!