Everything You Need To Know About The EuroMillions Superdraw
Last Updated: Wednesday 23rd September 2020, 10:02
The date of the next EuroMillions Superdraw has been revealed, pushing up the jackpot to a guaranteed amount and creating one of the biggest events of the year for lottery fans in all nine participating countries. Here’s what you should know about the next Superdraw:
When is the next Superdraw?
The next Superdraw will take place on Friday 7th June. It will be the second event of its kind this year.
What is a Superdraw?
A Superdraw is a special EuroMillions draw where the jackpot is significantly higher than usual - usually worth more than £100 million - and is guaranteed to be put up for grabs on the scheduled date. Superdraws are announced in advance, including the jackpot figure, giving players plenty of notice to buy tickets.
What is the jackpot this time?
The jackpot for the draw on 7th June will be €130 million (approximately £113 million). The jackpot is always calculated in euros as this is the currency used by all of the participating nations apart from the UK and Switzerland. It is then converted to pounds and Swiss francs on the day of the draw based on the exchange rate at the time.
If the jackpot is guaranteed, does it mean nobody can win the preceding draw?
You can still win the jackpot in the draw before a Superdraw. It doesn’t matter whether it is won or not, or how high the top prize is, it will be increased to the advertised amount for the Superdraw.
Where does the money come from?
Superdraws are paid for out of the EuroMillions Reserve Fund. A percentage of the prize money is allocated to every tier in every standard draw, and 4.8 percent goes to the Reserve Fund (increasing to 21 percent from the seventh draw of a rollover cycle).
This Reserve Fund serves a couple of functions. It ensures that the minimum jackpot of €17 million (around £14 million) can always be offered, while it also allows the participating EuroMillions countries to organise exciting events such as Superdraws and European Millionaire Maker draws.
If the EuroMillions jackpot rolls over to be higher than the advertised value for the Superdraw when it is scheduled, the Superdraw will be cancelled. It is likely that another one would then be scheduled shortly afterwards as the money remains available in the Reserve Fund.
Does the jackpot roll over if there are no winners?
Yes, the jackpot will roll over as normal if there are no winning tickets in a Superdraw. An even larger prize will then be available in the next draw. This happened in the last Superdraw at the start of February, when the jackpot rolled over four more times before a family from Co Dublin in Ireland matched all the numbers to win €175 million (£152 million).
How high can the jackpot go?
The jackpot can reach a maximum of €190 million. Once it hits this jackpot cap, it can stay at this amount for up to five draws. The money that would normally go to the top prize is instead funnelled into the Match 5 + 1 tier, creating bigger rewards for players who just miss out on the jackpot. If there are still no tickets matching all the numbers in the fifth draw at €190 million, the entire amount rolls down and is split between players in the highest winning category. This ‘rolldown’ feature has not yet been required, but there have been three winners of €190 million.
Who have been the biggest winners?
The last time the jackpot got to €190 million was in October 2017, following a Superdraw in September that kept rolling until it hit the cap. A single Spanish ticket, bought in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, matched the full winning line. A Superdraw in October 2014 helped to create another €190 million winner, with a player from Portugal coming forward to collect the prize anonymously.
The two biggest wins in the UK have not followed Superdraws. Scottish couple Chris and Colin Weir claimed £161 million in July 2011 to halt a sequence of 14 rollovers, while Adrian and Gillian Bayford won £148 million in August 2012 after another 14 draws without a winner. However, the third-largest UK win did follow hot on the heels of a Superdraw, when a lucky ticket holder banked £121 million anonymously in April 2018.
What’s the best way to win the jackpot?
There are a few ways to improve your chances of winning the jackpot. One method is simply to purchase more tickets, and the fact that Superdraws are announced well in advance gives you the chance to plan ahead. You could also join a syndicate so that you are entering more lines without the extra cost.
You can play in a group with friends, colleagues, neighbours or family members. The Irish winners in February formed a large family syndicate, and described it as so exciting that they would all be able to share the experience together. Alternatively, you can join forces with other online players to avoid the organisational work of putting a syndicate together.
There are other ways to go about trying to win, such as looking at statistics or choosing random numbers, but the odds of winning are the same for every single combination of numbers. You have to be in it to win it though, and if you take part online you will also be notified if you win a prize so there is no danger of missing out.
