The Biggest Lottery Prizes Paid Worldwide
See in this article the astronomical amounts already delivered by lotteries!
The Lottery House
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Lotteries have captured the hearts and fascinated thousands of people around the world for centuries, offering the chance to change lives with a single winning ticket.
The thrill of betting and the unique opportunity to win a massive amount of money attract millions of players every day worldwide. In this text, we will explore the biggest prizes ever paid by lotteries worldwide
PowerBall - $2.04 billion Prize
Americans love lotteries, and there are many successful ones in the land of Uncle Sam. PowerBall is one of the most famous lotteries in the United States. In addition to operating in the country, the lottery also operates in Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Draws are held at 11 p.m. local time in the United States.
PowerBall was conceived and created in 1980 by the non-profit American Association "Multi-State Lottery Association." Its first game was in 1982, and the name "PowerBall" became official only in 1992. The lottery breaks record after record for prize money. As of the date of this article, the largest amount ever awarded by a lottery in the world was delivered by PowerBall.
On November 8, 2022, a single bet won the record amount of $2.04 billion from the American lottery. The winning numbers were 10-33-41-47-56, and the Powerball was 10, according to lottery information.
Edwin Castro, who resided in California at the time of the prize, now lives a completely different life from what he used to have. With over 600,000 followers and a verified Instagram profile (@castro1021), Edwin has become an entrepreneur and digital influencer. In his posts, we can see all his efforts focused on various sports projects, with soccer being one of his great passions!
Mega Millions - $1.537 billion
Mega Millions Lottery was launched in August 1996 under the name "The Big Game" and had its first draw on September 6, 1996. At that time, only six states - Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia - were involved in the draws. In 2002, the lottery was renamed Mega Millions, and the first draw was held on May 17 of that year.
The Mega Millions lottery in the United States is known for distributing some of the largest amounts in lottery history. In March 2012, an incredible jackpot of $656 million was split among three winners.
But the biggest Mega Millions prize was awarded on October 23, 2018, when a single lucky person won the impressive amount of $1.537 billion. On that day, the numbers drawn were 5-28-62-65-70, with a Mega Ball of 5. There is not much information available about the winner, only that the jackpot was awarded in South Carolina, one of the American states.
Powerball - $1.586 billion
Once again, PowerBall is here. The truth is that, like Mega Millions, PowerBall is also known throughout the North American territory for its billion-dollar prizes. In January 2016, a group of lucky players shared the prize, which until then was the world record at $1.586 billion.
This jackpot, in addition to breaking the world record, was also the record for the largest single-ticket lottery payout. The record was broken by PowerBall itself in 2022, with the $2.04 billion prize mentioned at the beginning of this article.
EuroMillions - £184 million
EuroMillions is widely popular throughout Europe, with millions of players participating regularly. The lottery started its operations in 2004, with its first draw on February 13 of that year.
EuroMillions is run as a collaboration between nine European countries: the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Switzerland. In addition to the nine participating countries, many other countries around the world also allow their citizens to play EuroMillions through online lottery services.
On May 11, 2022, the winner of the £184 million jackpot came forward to EuroMillions to claim the prize. According to the local government, the winner's name remains a secret. The UK winner selected and matched the following numbers: 3-25-27-28-29, and the numbers 4 and 9 in the game. All the chosen numbers were drawn!
Another notable example occurred in December 2020 when a lucky French player won a €200 million jackpot.
El Gordo (Spain)
To conclude this article, we will talk about one of the oldest and most popular lotteries in the world. With over two centuries of history, the lottery dates back to the early drawings when a blind boy sang the numbers and prizes. Due to his distinctive and moving voice, people began referring to the drawing as "El Gordo." Over time, the name stuck and became the commonly used term to refer to Spain's Christmas Lottery. The first draw was held on December 18, 1812, when Spain was at war against Napoleon's invasion.
The Spanish Christmas Lottery offers one of the largest prizes in the world. In December 2020, the draw distributed a total amount of €2.4 billion. The main prize value was €4 million per series, and many tickets contain multiple series. This annual event is very popular in Spain, and the massive prize distribution creates a festive atmosphere throughout the country.
The billion-dollar prize was drawn at the Teatro Real in Madrid and featured the presence of children who traditionally sang the winning numbers.
Honorable Mentions
In addition to the highlighted lotteries and prizes above, we must mention the Australian Powerball and the Japan Jumbo Draw, which consistently pay out millions to their players. Check it out!
Powerball (Australia):
The Australian Powerball is also known for its substantial prizes. In January 2019, a single bettor won a whopping AU$107 million. This was the largest lottery prize ever paid in Australia at that time.
Japan Jumbo Draw (Japan):
The Japan Jumbo Draw is one of the most lucrative and popular lottery draws in Japan. In March 2021, a record amount of ¥1 billion (approximately US$9.2 million) was distributed on a single ticket. This particular draw attracts a lot of attention in the country, and thousands of Japanese people take to the streets to play and follow the draw results.
The biggest prizes paid by lotteries worldwide are witnesses to the ability of these games to transform lives. Lotteries, like nothing else in the world, have the power to transform the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people in a matter of minutes. All it takes is a little luck and responsible play, always respecting financial limits.