2018 Has Been a Record Year for Eurojackpot
Eurojackpot has had a momentous year in 2018, smashing records and creating more big winners than ever before. The €90 million jackpot cap has been reached multiple times, players have prospered in every participating country, and the game has continued to flourish.
Originally launched in 2012 with just six nations taking part, Eurojackpot can now be played in 18 countries, making it bigger and better than ever. The top prize grows quickly from one draw to the next when there are no winners and there have been some staggering jackpots up for grabs over the past 12 months.
Until the start of 2018, the jackpot cap had only come into play on three occasions, but this year alone it was hit three separate times. The first big winner of the year was a Finnish syndicate, which scooped a record-equalling €90 million on 9th February. The group of four players, from Loimaa in the south west of Finland, waited three months to come forward and the sales manager of the store where the ticket was sold admitted she had been worried that ‘a dog had maybe eaten it’.
Astonishing Run At Jackpot Cap
When the jackpot cap is activated, any extra funds from ticket sales that would normally go to the top prize are instead funnelled into the ‘Match 5 + 1’ tier. This can lead to massive awards in the second prize division, with the jackpot staying locked at €90 million until someone matches all five main numbers and both Euro numbers.
The jackpot has historically been won within a couple of weeks of reaching €90 million, but this summer it stayed at its maximum level for an astonishing six draws in a row before finally being given away in the seventh. Two German players - one from Hesse and the other from Saxony-Anhalt - matched all the numbers on 6th July to win €45 million each.
Another €90 million jackpot was won on 16th November when five ticket holders - two from Germany and one each from Finland, Italy and Spain - ended a long series of rollovers. There were also six winners in the second tier, banking €3.8 million each, in a result which delighted Eurojackpot chairman Andreas Kötter almost as much as the lucky players.
‘Hurrying From Record to Record’
Kötter said: “Congratulations to the happy winners! I am pleased that we have 11 multimillionaires in a draw! This is only the second time. Eurojackpot hurries from record to record in 2018. Never before have there been so many millionaires, so many jackpots and double jackpots.
“While €90 million was only achieved in a single draw in 2017, this year there were already 13 draws in which this maximum prize could be awarded. Due to the overflow of the jackpot in class two, it has been possible to pay out as many big winners as in any other year since Eurojackpot (started).”
The jackpot has also been won in each of the last two draws - once by a Danish player and once by a participant from Spain - and will be worth €10 million again for the final draw before Christmas this Friday. Having grown from strength to strength in 2018, there is every reason to think that Eurojackpot will continue to thrive next year. You can get involved online or by buying tickets from participating retailers.
Article Last Updated: Wednesday 19th December 2018 at 10:32 AM
