The Most Popular Lotteries

The very concept of the lottery has been around since ancient times. Over the centuries, people have modernised the game and turned it into a way of making money. Nowadays, the flood of billboards is unimaginable without the various lotteries. Every week, organisers of the biggest events hold raffles for tens of millions of dollars in the hope of finding a lucky winner. In this guide you’ll learn about the world’s biggest lotteries..

Mega Millions

Mega Millions was created in 2002 under the name Big Mega Millions. By 2010 they had launched the lottery in all American states. The prize pool is 15 million each, paid out to winners over the next 30 years with the option to claim their winnings early by claiming a share of the winnings. The biggest single win is $1.5 million. There are two lists of numbers on the ticket: 1-75 and 1-15. In the first position, the player has five to choose from, while in the second position only one has to be chosen. The lottery is held twice a week.

Powerball

No doubt the world’s most famous lottery with one of the biggest winnings in history. The origin of Powerball is in the USA. It has a pool of 45 states and has been running since 1988. The numbers on the ticket are 1-69 and 1-26. The player has six winning positions to choose from. The biggest win in Powerball history is $768 million. This lottery is played every week.

Euromillions

Nine EU countries participate in the Euromillions lottery. Euromillions is an extremely simple lottery, reminiscent of its American counterpart. There are two rows of numbers on the ticket: 1-50 и 1-12. Both lines contain seven numbers (five in the first and two in the second). Lotto draws are held every week on Tuesdays and Fridays. The record winnings are €220 million in 2021 for a family from France.

Eurojackpot

The lottery that has become a major competitor for Euromillions in the EU. This adds Finland to the nine countries in the previous lottery where draws take place every week. The essence of the Eurojackpot is to guess numbers from two columns. In the first, the winner must hit five out of fifty numbers, and in the second, two out of ten. Despite its relative youth, the Eurojackpot has already surpassed the Euromillions in terms of the number of entrants. The maximum prize pool was won by a resident of the Czech Republic who won €90 million in 2015.

National Lottery

The National Lottery of the UK and the Isles of Man. Combines all of the world’s major lotteries, working exclusively with the British Isles. In return, the National Lottery owners are obliged to sponsor public events in the UK – sports competitions, horse races and to help orphanages and care homes for the elderly. The most popular lottery in the pool is the Lotto, where a participant must choose six out of 49 numbers. Guessing five of them will unlock a bonus ball which multiplies the winnings.

La Primitiva

A lottery game for Spanish residents. A player must guess a total of seven out of the 50 numbers drawn in two rows. La Primitiva is held every week. Recently, the tickets include a bonus ball feature.

Lotería de Navidad

The principle of the lottery is very different to the previous lotteries. Its Russian equivalent is the Russian Lotto. Except that in Lotto, you would need to guess the number of the rolling balls, whereas in Lotería de Navidad you win the ticket number. There are 100,000 wooden balls with five-digit numbers written on them. The lucky ball that falls out will bring the ticket holder up to €30 million. The lottery is held on a weekly basis.