Before The Draw
You can buy your Euromillions ticket for the next draw
from the previous Saturday morning to the Friday evening
of the draw itself. Buying tickets earlier in the week
is advisable, especially during rollover weeks, as Friday
evening queues can be long, and if you don’t get to
the cashier on time, you won’t be able to enter.
The Draw
At around 9pm, UK time, or 10pm CET the Euromillions
draw takes place. Five main numbers and two Lucky Star
numbers are randomly selected, and anyone who has all
of these is eligible to claim a share of the first tier
jackpot – always €15,000,000 or more.
Discovering The Win
Depending on where you are in Europe, you may be able
to watch the Euromillions draw take place live on television.
If not, you can get the Euromillions lottery results
from teletext, the internet (bookmark this site!) or
in the newspapers on the day after the draw. If you
check your numbers and think that you might have won
a prize, take a deep breath and double-check. If you
still aren’t convinced that you are the lucky jackpot
winner, ask a trusted family member to check the numbers
on your behalf. Most winners take several minutes to
several hours before they can accept that they really
have won a jackpot, and it is at this stage that time
may seem to stand still for you!
Registering A Claim
Players who think they have won the jackpot prize should
telephone the lottery line of the country they are playing
in. For example, UK players should call the National
Lottery Line on 0845 9 100 000. There is no great rush
to do this, but calling to register your claim immediately
reduces the chances of you losing your ticket and your
eligibility for the prize money with it. All claims
must be made within 180 days of the draw. If you miss
this deadline, even by a single day, then you won’t
be allowed to make your claim.
Hours After The Claim
Once you have registered your claim, the lottery organisers
in your country will arrange to visit you (or you them)
and verify your win. You will need to provide proof
of your identity and to decide whether or not you want
to be publicly named as the winner. When all of the
paperwork has been attended to, your prize money will
be transferred to your bank account.
Days After The Claim
All Euromillions winners will be offered professional
financial advice by the lottery organiser in the country
they are playing in. It is sensible to listen to this
advice, even if you don’t think you need it, because
handling millions of euros involves very different skills
than handling smaller amounts of money.
Weeks After The Claim
How you start using your money in the first few weeks
following your successful Euromillions claim will have
a big impact on whether the fortune helps or hinders
you. Try to guard against going on any uncontrolled
spending sprees, and think carefully about what you
want to achieve with your new-found wealth. The more
calm and collected you can be now, the better.
Months After The Claim
The fact that you are a Euromillions multi-millionaire
will have finally sunk in, and you now will be living
your life with the kind of financial freedom that most
people can only dream about. Make it a good one!
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