Record lottery jackpot of 48 million euros cracked

2024-01-04 15:53:13

The joy over the record-high lottery jackpot of 48 million euros at the beginning of the year was only short-lived. In the first draw of the year on Wednesday, the bulging prize pot in the 6 out of 49 lottery game was plundered. This meant that the jackpot could not grow to the maximum level of 50 million euros, which had been new since November.

Only one player from Middle Franconia correctly guessed all six numbers drawn early in the evening plus one super number – no guarantee: 14, 25, 28, 32, 36, 49 and 4 – and was also very lucky. Because prize category two remained vacant. So nobody had six correct numbers, which is rather unusual, especially in this combination. He had staked 12.90 euros.

However, the latest jackpot hopes have not yet been completely shattered – on the contrary: there is now a maximum possible 120 million euros in the Eurojackpot for the drawing next Friday, because the first prize category here remained vacant for the 13th time in a row on Tuesday and 113 million euros was not could be distributed. With a probability of one in 140 million, a main prize in the Eurojackpot is just as (un)probable as in the lottery. To do this, ten out of 50 numbers and two out of twelve euro numbers would have to be typed correctly.

Probability of winning higher

The maximum amount in the Eurojackpot that has now been reached also means that the money pot for the second prize category (five correct numbers plus one euro number) is quickly filled to an above-average level with around 17 million euros. Any distribution amounts in excess of the maximum amount will be transferred there. The probability of a hit at this level is one in 6.99 million.

Theoretically, the overflow will continue until 120 million euros would be reached here too if prize category two remained unoccupied. Then the next stage would follow. High jackpot amounts usually increase the stakes. New players are attracted, others put in more money. The danger for gambling addicts is also growing.

In the lottery game 6 out of 49, the maximum jackpot is higher after the recent rule change, but such large sums will only be available in the first prize category. The (previously rare) compulsory distribution no longer applies if the maximum 45 million euros had previously remained standing. If the first prize category was vacant in the draw, the second level automatically benefited. If nobody had six correct numbers, those players would have been awarded five hits plus a super number. In this third class, the probability of winning is one in 542,008.

Kerstin Papon Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5 Katharina Roos Published/Updated: Recommendations: 12 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2

On Wednesday there were 37 winners of an above-average 17,294.80 euros. In game 6 out of 49, payout amounts that exceed the maximum jackpot have remained in prize category one since November, are collected there and increase the starting jackpot in the following round. That didn’t happen, but there is still around 5 million euros in the Saturday lottery pot.

Meanwhile, the 16 lottery companies that are part of the German Lotto and Toto Block announced on Thursday that, in terms of million-dollar winnings, there were fewer lucky lottery winners in this country in 2023 than in the previous year: 179 lottery millionaires compared to 187. The highest win was 120 million euros received a Eurojackpot tipper from Schleswig-Holstein. 117 million euros went to Hamburg and 107 million to Bremen, also Eurojackpot.

Most of the millions in profits went to North Rhine-Westphalia (37), Baden-Württemberg (30) and Lower Saxony (26). In Hesse there were 21 for the first time – a record so far: 19 in 2021. A bettor in the Main-Taunus district won around 2.35 million euros in the last Eurojackpot drawing on December 29th. Overall, Germans spent around 8.2 billion euros on lotteries in 2023 – an increase of 2.9 percent compared to 2022.