The biggest jackpots in history

Every sane person would like to get rich, bypassing years of hard work. But only a few people are lucky enough to win impressive lottery prizes worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We’ve compiled a ranking of the world’s top five lotteries.

5th place – Eurojackpot

The Eurojackpot, which launched in 2012, involves a large number of countries including more than a dozen EU member states. This lottery has 12 prize levels. Its jackpots range in size from €10m to €90m, with the biggest jackpot going to a Czech participant in 2015 – €90m. A year earlier, a lucky winner from Finland won €61170752.

4th place – SuperEnaloto

The Italian National Lottery has a history dating back to the end of 1997. It traditionally draws three times a week and the jackpot can grow indefinitely, reaching fabulous proportions. A nice bonus is that there is no tax and the winnings can be paid out in annual instalments. The biggest prize paid out in the fall of 2010 was €177.8 million. It took second place among the European countries in terms of size.

3rd place – EuroMillions

This popular, and Europe’s largest, game was launched in 2004. Initially only Spain, the UK and France took part in it, then nine more countries joined in.

The jackpot starts at €15 million and ends at €100 million or more. With 13 winning nominations, competitors can look forward to winning. The biggest payout to date is €190 million. It has been won twice, by a Portuguese man in 2014 and a British resident in 2012.

2nd place – Powerball

This game originated from the USA in 1988 and quickly established itself as a leader. This lottery has a minimum jackpot of $40 million. It boasts one of the biggest jackpots in the world, going as high as $500 million or even higher.

A paid “Power play” option gives you the chance to multiply your winnings by several times. Tickets are sold in 45 US states and online. The drawing and prize giving takes place twice a week in Florida.

The winner of the record $600 million jackpot was an 84-year-old pensioner in 2013.

1st place – Mega Millions

One of the most popular American lotteries founded in 1996. It is distributed by 45 states and departments, providing total coverage. The lottery usually has a minimum jackpot of $15 million but sometimes as high as $1.5 billion. The prize pool can be up to five times the original amount due to the optional Megaplier.

Mega Millions users have the chance to try their luck in nine different categories. The draw takes place twice a week.

This game shattered the common perception of jackpots when the Mega Millions jackpot soared to $656 million in March 2012, making it the all-time record jackpot in lottery history!