Euromillions Rolldown

The Euromillions lottery has a rule that stipulates a jackpot cannot increase above €185,000,000 (one hundred and eighty-five million euros) in the first instance; subsequent multiple rollovers will see the cap increase by €5 million each time the cap is reached. This is referred too as the 'Jackpot Pool Cap'. Should this happen then the jackpot will remain the same until it is won but the prize money that would usually have been added to the prize pool (had theire been no cap) will be added to the next lowest prize band - namely match 5 + 1 - that has at least one winner. Of course the Euromillions Lottery doesn't always produce winners for 5 + 1 in which case the money would 'rolldown' to the next level and so on and so forth.

This Rolldown first came into play on the Euromillions following the Jackpot Cap rule set in March 2009 on draw number 396 on Friday 8th July 2011. No main jackpot winners were found so the cap of €185 million remained in the jackpot pool but six 5 main and 1 Lucky Star winners each took home over £3.3/€4.5 million. The following week on draw number 397 Christine and Colin Weir from Largs in Scotland had a single winning ticket and scooped the €185/£161 million jackpot. Excess prize money rolled down and eleven players who matched 5 main and 1 Lucky Star each took home over £2.45/£1.79 million.

Sounds simple, but actually it is quite complicated; the Jackpot Pool is the same whichever country you win from, but the second level prizes are determined by how much your particular country has in its own EuroMillions prize pot, and the conversion value of the Euro gets a look in as well. So, no doubt there are some Euromillions lawyers and mathematicians with calculators at the ready!