EuroMillions adds a 12th Lucky Star and a UK line goes to £2.50, 2016

New EuroMillions rules took effect on 24 September 2016. A UK line went up from £2 to £2.50, and players now picked their two Lucky Stars from 12 numbers instead of 11. The jackpot odds lengthened from about 1 in 117 million to about 1 in 140 million. Tuesday 27 September was the first draw under the new format.

In the UK, Millionaire Maker went from one guaranteed £1 million winner per draw to two. Camelot said that would mean at least 208 UK millionaires a year, about twice as many as before.

The starting jackpot rose from €15 million to €17 million, promoted in the UK as £14 million. The share of the prize fund going to the jackpot rose from 32% to 43.2%, so jackpots would grow faster.

The extra UK millionaire did not last. From January 2019 Millionaire Maker returned to one guaranteed winner per draw, with more special draws instead.

Sources

• loveMONEY: EuroMillions cost of playing rises 25% (lovemoney.com)
• Lottery.co.uk: EuroMillions changes (lottery.co.uk)