Euromillions special draw: What happens if no one wins the 200 million jackpot?
Does the jackpot remain the same? does it go back to its value before the special draw? can it be accumulated again? Doubts cleared up!
This Friday's Euromillions special draw took the jackpot from the €17 million it would have been after last Tuesday's win (where a single bet took the €83 million jackpot) to €200 million. This is one of the biggest jackpots in EuroMillions history, so it has caused particular anticipation among regular players and newcomers alike. But, as this is a special jackpot, there are many questions about what would happen if there was no winner in Friday's draw - would the jackpot go back down to €17 million?
What happens if there is no winner?
Euromillions special draws are always a much-anticipated occasion, but because they are out of the ordinary, they also raise a lot of questions about how they work. And a very common question is what would happen if no one wins the jackpot. As there are no guaranteed winners in EuroMillions, it is perfectly possible that none of the bets sold will match the winning combination as, in the end, the odds are 1 in more than 139 million. What would happen in this case, does the jackpot remain, does it return to its value before the special draw, can it accumulate again?
How the EuroMillions jackpot build-up works
Firstly, it is important to understand how the EuroMillions jackpot is built up. Each time a draw is held without any player matching the winning combination, the jackpot builds up for the next event. This means that the amount of money in play continues to grow, generating greater anticipation and excitement among participants. This accumulation can occur several times, progressively increasing the jackpot until the limit amount is reached. But as this is a special jackpot, it is not clear to everyone whether the jackpot is maintained or not.
The day after the draw
The answer is yes. In the particular case of this special draw with a guaranteed jackpot of 200 million euros, if we find that no player has matched the numbers, the jackpot does not return to a lower amount. On the contrary, it remains at that 200 million and accumulates from this figure, reaching values in excess of 200 million depending on ticket sales for the next draw. This possibility adds an extra layer of excitement, as this is a prize that could well mark a before and after in EuroMillions history.
Possibility to set a new record
This special feature of the EuroMillions special draws makes it possible to reach numbers that would normally be very difficult to reach. For example, almost every time a new record jackpot has been reached, it has been after a special draw. Therefore, we could be on the verge of a new record.
At the moment, the biggest jackpot ever won in EuroMillions is the 230 million jackpot in July 2022. When that figure was reached, the EuroMillions limit was expanded by another 10 million euros, so the 200 million jackpot could currently grow to 240 million, something easily achievable with one or two rollovers.
The "Must Be Won" rule
And then we come to the intriguing "Must Be Won" rule. This rule acts as an exciting capstone when the pot reaches its limit. If the jackpot reaches 240 million euros and has not yet found a winner, the rule stipulates that the prize must be won on the 5th draw without a winner. Thus, once the threshold value has been reached, the jackpot would remain static for another 5 consecutive draws, and all winnings would be added to the lower prizes.
What happens if at the 5th draw nobody matches all the numbers? Then the prize is distributed among the winners of the next closest level. This is a very interesting rule that ensures that there is always a winner in the end, and even allows you to win much larger amounts than usual in the lower categories.
How to participate in the draw?
Ticket sales for this Friday's draw will be available until approximately one hour before the draw, which takes place at 21:00h (CET). However, with the countdown already underway, it is always best to place your bet as soon as possible to avoid last-minute saturation.
Beyond its special jackpot, the EuroMillions draw will run like any other normal EuroMillions draw. This means that the price of the bet will be the same and also the format of the game, being necessary to complete a minimum bet of 5 numbers from 1 to 50 plus 2 star numbers from 1 to 12. You can buy bets in the following ways:
- Simple bets: Each ticket allows you to place a maximum of 5 simple bets of 5 numbers and 2 stars each.
- Multiple bets: These bets allow you to select more numbers on the same line. For each additional number, more combinations are played and therefore more bets in total. In Euromillions, it is possible to play from 6 bets up to a maximum of 2520 bets, selecting a maximum of 10 numbers and 5 stars.
- Groups and syndicates: Groups and syndicates are created to buy several bets among several players, sharing the costs and also the prizes. It is a very economical way to participate in the draw with many more bets. While groups are usually created by the players themselves among their family and friends, syndicates are created by the lottery operator and are available to the public. For the case of this draw, we especially recommend the 5000 bets syndicate that Lottofy has created for the occasion, being the largest syndicate available at the moment.
Whatever the case, always remember to play responsibly based on your budget and never spend more than you can afford. It is important to be clear that the chances of winning the jackpot are very low, so the main reason to participate should not be to develop financial or emotional expectations, but rather the fun of the intrigue of knowing whether or not you will hit the winning numbers. Good luck!
