Frequently Asked Questions

EuroDreams draws take place on Monday and Thursday evenings in Paris, France, at approximately 21:00 local time.

You can buy tickets until around an hour before the draw is held. See the cut-off time for each country below (time shown is the local time in each country):

• Austria – 20:00
• Belgium – 20:00
• France – 20:15
• Ireland – 19:30
• Luxembourg – 20:00
• Portugal – 19:00
• Spain – 20:30
• Switzerland – 19:30

Anyone aged 18 or over can play EuroDreams. You do not have to be a resident or citizen of any of the participating countries to take part.

To play EuroDreams, you are required to select six main numbers from 1 to 40, plus one Dream Number between 1 and 5. Go to the How to Play page for more information about all the steps you need to take.

A single play for EuroDreams costs €2.50.

You win prizes by matching the numbers you have picked to the numbers that are drawn. Match all six main numbers and the Dream Number and you’ll win the jackpot, but you can also win by matching as few as two of the main numbers. Go to the Odds and Prizes page to see all the different ways to win.

The top prize is worth €20,000 a month for 30 years. This is known as an annuity, giving you guaranteed payments over a long period of time rather than a one-off jackpot. Find out more about annuity lotteries.

Yes, there is a maximum total payout of €21.6 million for the top prize, which works out at three winners. If more than three players match all the numbers in a single draw, the €21.6 million prize fund for the jackpot is split evenly between the winners and given away as a one-time payment.

There is also a maximum of €1.44 million that can be paid out in the second prize level.

No. It is always the same in every draw - €20,000 a month for 30 years.

If a winner of the first or second prize dies before they have received all their payments, the remaining balance is paid out to their estate as a lump sum.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 19,191,900. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 4.66. See the Odds and Prizes page for the chances of winning in each category.

EuroDreams draws are electronic and are broadcast in animated form on television stations and websites across Europe. Draws are carried out by the French lottery company La Française des Jeux, in Paris.

The Dream Number is the seventh number that is drawn in EuroDreams. It is selected from a separate field to the main numbers, between 1 and 5, so it can be the same as a digit that has already been drawn as one of the main numbers. The Dream Number is only relevant if you match all six main numbers. It does not feature in any other prize level. Go to the Dream Number page to read all about it.

The claiming process depends on a number of factors, including the value of the prize that has been won. There are also some differences between each country, and you must always make sure that you collect prizes in the same nation where you bought your ticket. Go to the How to Claim page to learn what you need to do depending on where you live.

The claim period for each of the participating countries is shown below:

• Austria - 3 years
• Belgium - 90 days
• France - 60 days
• Ireland - 90 days
• Luxembourg - 60 days
• Portugal - 90 days
• Spain - 3 months
• Switzerland - 26 weeks

There is no tax on lottery winnings in most of the participating countries, but money is withheld on larger prizes in Portugal, Spain and Switzerland:

• Portugal - Prizes above €5,000 are taxed at 20 percent
• Spain - Prizes above €40,000 are taxed at 20 percent
• Switzerland - Prizes above CHF 1 million are taxed at 35 percent

It is always recommended that you consult a financial expert or tax advisor in the event of a big win, as your own individual situation might impact on how much you owe.

Yes, all of the participating countries allow big winners a choice over whether to stay anonymous or go public.