If you like the thrill of the lottery but didn’t get lucky playing Australian ones so far, why not try your luck in another country? There are hundreds of lotteries available worldwide and some of them are really worth taking a look at!
Better odds, bigger jackpots or tax free winnings, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to pick the best international lotteries.
Overview
Presentation of the main international lotteries
EuroMillions
Of all international lotteries, EuroMillions offers Europe’s most impressive lotto jackpots. While the idea of a pan-european lottery was conceived in the ’90s, it only became a reality in 2004. It started with the participation of 3 founding members (France, Spain and Britain) and has soon been joined by many other countries, offering even bigger jackpots.
To play EuroMillions, players have to pick 5 numbers from a range of 1 to 50, and two additional numbers called “Lucky Stars” from a range of 1 to 11. To hit the Jackpot, players must successfully match all five numbers and lucky stars drawn.
Ticket price: $3
Mega Millions
You know how Americans are, they like to think big: with the gigantic sum of $920 million, Mega Millions holds the record of the world’s biggest jackpot! The multi-state lottery became the first one to cross the half billion American dollar mark. But if the number sounds impressive, keep in mind that non-US citizens are subject to a 30% flat fee tax, almost dividing your winnings per 3.
To play this US lottery, participants must choose 5 balls from a range of 1 to 75 as well as an additional number (called Mega Ball).
Ticket price: $1
US Powerball
Originally known as the “Lotto America”, the US Powerball lottery has offered some of the biggest jackpots in lottery history as well! It even became a household name and inspired similar Powerball lottery games around the globe, such as the Australian Powerball and the New Zealand Powerball.
To win the American Powerball, players must find five balls (from a guess range of 1 to 69) and the Powerball, an additional number between 1 and 26.
Ticket price: $1
Super Enalotto
Super Enalotto is one of the most famous international lotteries in Europe and offers impressive jackpots, attracting fans from all over the world. The Italian lottery has no jackpot limit and for that reason holds the record for one of the world’s longest rollovers (8 months!).
It is played by choosing six numbers between 1 and 90. A complementary number is automatically selected for players but is only needed to win the second prize.
Ticket price: $1.50
Oz Lotto
Last but not least, Oz Lotto is Autralia’s leading lottery game and holds the record of the highest lotto jackpots of the country. It is so popular that a TV show was created with the aussie lottery at the center of the plot. Indeed, “Winners and Losers” follows the story of 4 lotto winners and the changes taking place in their lives after hitting the jackpot!
For reality to meet fiction, you will have to select 7 numbers from a guess range of 1 to 45.
Ticket price: $1.20
International lotteries: what are my chances to win?
If you are playing Australian lotteries and are curious to compare the odds of all of them, you can use this pretty fun simulator of your winnings and losses over time. Try it: it is both hypnotic and depressing.
If you’re too scared to witness this, Business Insider did the maths for you and compared the odds of the different national lotteries over 10 years. Unsurprisingly, the result is not pretty: if you play Oz Lotto once a week for 10 years, you are likely to loose about $20,810.30
Want to find out if international lotteries do any better? Here are the full odds details.
The easiest jackpot to hit: Oz Lotto
That’s right! With odds of only 45 millions to 1 to hit the jackpot, Oz Lotto is most likely to be won than any other international lotteries. But the Australian jackpot is also the smallest of the list.
The most rewarding one: EuroMillions
If, like many of us, you need to win small amounts from time to time to keep the dream alive, then play EuroMillions! The lottery has great winning odds beginning at 1:23 for secondary prizes, which makes it pretty attractive.
The least probable one: Super Enalotto
With chances of 1 out of 622 million to hit the jackpot, Italian players better be patient because it’s 5 times more likely for them to get killed by a vending machine than to hit the jackpot. If you want to find out more about this ugly truth, check out the 10 things more likely to happen to you than winning the lottery.
The least interesting ones: Mega Millions and Powerball
If the two American lotteries offer the biggest jackpots, their slim winning odds (between 1 in 250 and 300 million) and taxes policies make them the least appealing international lotteries to us. It is twice more likely to hit the EuroMillions jackpot than Mega Millions, so if you don’t mind winning a couple hundred of million only, that’s the go to lottery for you.
Where can I get tickets for international lotteries?
If you are not downhearted by these figures – and you shouldn’t, because only those who play win! – you can purchase your tickets on the internet. Indeed, these international lotteries don’t have authorized brick and mortar retailers outside their home country, so the easiest way to get tickets is to purchase them online via one of the 3 main retailers:
- The Lotter,
- MultiLotto,
- or Trillonario.
These websites are safe and legal and accept all major payments methods.
However, be aware that the ticket price can vary from one website to another. Unlike your corner store where a fixed price is set by the official lottery, online international lottery retailers provide discounts, rebates and coupons. That’s because most of them also offer a subscription model where players pay a monthlee fee and get a certain number of tickets.
To end on a sweet note
Here is our favourite lottery TV spot, just because we want to keep on dreaming.
After all, isn’t it the whole point of lottery games?
