Lottery jackpot records

Spain's Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad (Spanish Christmas Lottery) is generally considered to be the world's largest lottery game, with the largest first prize/jackpot. In 2012, the first prize was €720 million (then US$941.8 million; $1.058 billion in 2020 dollars). The total prize pool in 2012 was €2.52 billion (US$3.297 billion; $3.704 billion in 2020 dollars). The tickets for this drawing have pre-printed five-digit numbers, with each set of numbers sold multiple times in series. For example, a ticket with the number "00001" was printed 180 times under different series numbers. Moreover, each series is divided into 10 décimos (tenths in English), which are the individual tickets available for purchase. This results in the top prize being split by a very big number of winners usually from different regions of Spain. The 2011 top prize of €720 million was paid out as €4 million (US$5.2 million) to each of the 180 tickets (or €400,000 for each décimo) with the number 58268.[1] In 2016, the total prize pool was €2.310 billion ($2.414 billion).[2][3] In 2020, the total prize was €2.38 billion ($2.897 billion).

All lottery winnings are subject to Federal taxation (automatically reported to the Internal Revenue Service if the win is at least $600); many smaller jurisdictions also levy taxes. The IRS requires a minimum withholding of 24% of the prize (minus the wager) of any gambling win in excess of $5,000. However, the net for a major prize often is misleading; winners often owe the IRS upon filing a return because the Federal withholding was below the winner's tax obligations. Nonresident U.S. lottery winners[4] have 30% of winnings of at least $600 withheld.

While the largest lottery prizes in the early history of U.S. state lotteries were "annuity-only", these lotteries gradually introduced a "cash option" for these games.

All prizes listed below are reported as the pre-withholdings amount, as this is taxable income the player must report on their returns to be subject to taxation. Jackpots and jackpot shares listed below are annuity amounts (and the cash value.)

Because of the rate of growth, one annuitized jackpot can have a higher cash value than a larger annuitized jackpot with a lower cash value. For instance: while both the Mega Millions' and the Powerball's annuities are paid out in 30 annual installments, the Mega Millions' annuity payments increase 5 percent yearly, while the Powerball annuity payments increase 4 percent yearly. This makes the Mega Millions' annuity structure somewhat more "inflated".

List of U.S. lottery drawings of $300 million or more (annuity value) with at least one jackpot-winning ticket (dollar amounts in millions):[5][6]

Notes:

• MM. ^ ^ The Big Game became The Big Game Mega Millions and then Mega Millions in 2002.

Unlike in the United States, where lottery wins are taxed, European jackpots are generally tax-free (the lotteries themselves are taxed in other ways) and jackpots are paid in a lump sum. For example, in the United Kingdom's National Lottery, wagers are split between the game operator Camelot Group and the government, with Camelot distributing its share among prizes, operating costs, profit,[20] Camelot's 'good causes' programme, with the remainder going to the government as value-added tax (VAT) due.[21]

Examples of largest jackpots in specific European lotteries

• £170.2 million (EUR190 million/US$208.2 million) was the largest prize won by a British winner in the pan-European EuroMillions in Sterling currency, won on 8 October 2019.[22]
• €200.0 million, or higher, paid out jackpots in the EuroMillions lottery:

• €90.0 million jackpot in the Eurojackpot lottery is paid out fifteen times:

• €209 million (US$233.7 million) was the largest single-ticket jackpot in Italy's SuperEnalotto lottery, won on 13 August 2019.
• €101 million (US$115.14 million)[23] was the largest jackpot in Spain's La Primitiva (not to be confused with El Gordo de la Primitiva), won by a single ticket holder on Thursday 15th October 2015. The ticket was purchased in Barcelona.[24]
• €45.4 million (US$67 million) was the largest jackpot in Germany's Lotto 6 aus 49, won in December 2007 by three tickets.
• €45.0 million (US$45.8 million) was the largest single-ticket jackpot in the German Lotto 6 aus 49, won on 13 April 2022.
• SEK 238 million (US$38 million) is the largest single ticket jackpot of Svenska Spel Lotto Drömvinsten
• £66.1 million (US$96 million) was the largest jackpot in the United Kingdom's Lotto, won on 9 January 2016 by two tickets.
• CHF 48.6 million (US$53.2 million) was the largest jackpot in Switzerland's Swiss Lotto, won on 23 August 2014.[25]
• £35.1 million (US$49.6 million) was the largest winner on the UK Lotto game in April 2016.
• €38.4 million (US$49.7 million) was the largest jackpot in the Netherlands draw of the Staatsloterij (State Lottery) in May 2013.
• €30,009,676 (US$31 million) was the largest jackpot in France's SuperLoto, won in May 2006 by two tickets.
• €30,000,000 (US$25.7 million) was the largest single-ticket jackpot in the French Lotto, won on 04 december 2021.
• €22,5 million (US$23.9 million) was the biggest lotto win in Hungary was on Eurojackpot (half of the €45 mil.) on 10 February 2017. This 7 billion HUF worth grand prize beat a 5 billion record set up in 2003.[26]
• SEK 215 million (€22 million, US$30 million) was the largest single-ticket jackpot in Sweden's Lotto of Svenska Spel, won on 27 March 2010.[27]
• €19.1 million (US$21.8 million) was the largest jackpot and largest single-ticket jackpot in Ireland's Lotto, won on 15 January 2022.
• €12.2 million (US$15.7 million) was the largest jackpot in Finland's Lotto of Veikkaus, won in October 2012 by one ticket.
• €13 million (US$17.9 million) was the largest jackpot in Belgium's Loterie Nationale/Nationale Loterij, won in December 2013 by one ticket.
• €4.32 million (US$4.77 million) was the largest jackpot in Russia's Gosloto 6 to 45, won in February 2016 by one 1800-roubles ticket. This is the largest jackpot in Russia.[28]

On November 29, 2010, a Filipino bettor from Olongapo won Grand Lotto 6/55 using the "lucky pick" system, with a jackpot prize of ₱741.2 million.[29][30][31] On October 14, 2018, two bettors from Albay and Eastern Samar won the Ultra Lotto 6/58 and split the ₱1.18 billion (US$21.9 million) jackpot prize, the biggest jackpot won in the history of Philippine lottery as of 2020.[32]