What are the largest jackpots ever won in international lotteries?

[Ganardo]

While the headline-grabbing jackpots like Powerball's record $2.04 billion prize in 2022 cement American lottery games among the biggest in the world, lotteries across Europe, Australia, and beyond have also awarded their fair share of colossal jackpot windfalls over the years. From the transnational EuroMillions game linking players across the continent to national titans like Italy's SuperEnalotto and Spain's famed El Gordo Christmas lottery - eye-watering jackpot figures defying all odds have been won on the international stage as well.

While the U.S. frequently reset world records for largest lottery prizes, games like the UK's National Lottery awarded staggering sums like one £170 million EuroMillions jackpot in 2019. Australia's Powerball division one prizes topped A$150 million, shared among a few winners but still representing a nation's record haul. Whether paid in lump sums or over decades through annuities, these international lottery jackpot wins instantly catapulted lucky ticketholders into unimaginable wealth realms. These are the biggest, most epic jackpots hit outside America that made global headlines.

This introduction sets the stage by noting that while U.S. lottery jackpots frequently break world records, there have been plenty of massive lottery windfalls internationally as well worth highlighting. It previews some of the specific games and jackpot amounts that will be covered, whetting readers' appetites for the extraordinary stories and prize money details to come involving these record-breaking international lottery wins.

Here are some of the largest jackpots ever won in major international lotteries outside the United States:

EuroMillions (Europe) - €230 Million
- Won in the UK in February 2023, currently the largest ever EuroMillions jackpot prize

EuroJackpot (Europe) - €120 Million
- Won in Germany in July 2022
- Equal to the fixed jackpot cap for this transnational European lottery

Powerball (Australia) - A$150 Million
- Three entries split this jackpot, the largest ever won in an Australian lottery, in September 2009

Lotto 6/49 (Canada) - C$63.4 Million
- Won by a single ticket in Ontario in October 2015
- One of the biggest Lotto 6/49 jackpots in Canadian lottery history

UK National Lottery - £170 Million
- A EuroMillions jackpot hit in October 2019, the largest prize ever awarded by the UK's national lottery operator

SuperEnalotto (Italy) - €209 Million
- Won by a single ticket holder in August 2019
- One of the largest jackpot prizes ever awarded in Europe

El Gordo (Spain) - €4.35 Billion Total Prizes
- In the 2022 draw, this massive Christmas lottery awarded over €4.35 billion to winners
- While not a single jackpot, the total prizes were the largest payout ever

EuroMillions €230 Million (UK)
- Won by a retired couple, Joe and Jess Thwaite, in May 2022
- They opted for the lump sum payment of around £195 million after taxes
- One of the biggest EuroMillions winners ever from the UK

EuroJackpot €120 Million (Germany)
- Hit in July 2022 by a player from Berlin
- They chose to remain anonymous after the massive win
- Equal to the absolute jackpot cap for this lottery

Powerball A$150 Million (Australia)
- Shared between three division one winning entries in September 2009
- Each winner took home A$50 million after splitting the record Aussie jackpot
- Odds of the 1-in-134 million hit were extraordinarily rare

Lotto 6/49 C$63.4 Million (Canada)
- Won by Maureen Mills and her family in October 2015 in Ontario
- They overcame 1-in-14 million odds to land one of Canada's biggest lottery prizes

SuperEnalotto €209 Million (Italy)
- Hit in August 2019 by a single ticketholder, becoming Italy's largest jackpot ever
- The winner remained anonymous after the historic €209,166,,000 score

El Gordo €4.35 Billion (Spain)
- The 2022 El Gordo Christmas lottery awarded over €4.35 billion total in prizes
- While not one jackpot, it set a new record for most prize money awarded globally
- Over 25 million tickets won cash prizes

These colossal jackpot hits in recent years shattered records and delivered once-in-a-lifetime windfalls across major international lotteries globally.

Some of these jackpots rank among the biggest individual lottery prizes in the world. While Powerball and Mega Millions in the U.S. have topped $1 billion, these games demonstrate the immense prize money available internationally as well.

While the United States frequently dominates headlines with record-shattering Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, the colossal nine-figure prizes awarded by lotteries around the world demonstrate that the dream of an earth-shattering windfall is truly global. From the £170 million payout by the UK's National Lottery to Australia's Powerball jackpot topping A$150 million, games on nearly every continent have delivered once-in-a-lifetime riches to lucky winners.

Europe has been home to some of the biggest jackpot scores, with the transnational EuroMillions awarding over €200 million to ticketholders in the UK and Italy's SuperEnalotto hitting a €209 million jackpot in 2019. The annual Spanish Christmas El Gordo lottery set a new worldwide record by awarding over €4.35 billion in total prizes in its 2022 edition.

Whether won by syndicates or solo entries, these extreme lottery payouts instantly catapulted ordinary people into extraordinary wealth realms. While the odds of hitting such gigantic jackpots are infinitesimal, these winners' good fortune fuels the global lottery-playing fever. Each new record prize payout emboldens players worldwide to keep chasing that life-altering score.

From the Canadian prairies to the villages of Europe, international lotteries have proven capable of minting new millionaires and multi-millionaires overnight through their grand prize events. As jackpots inevitably grow ever-larger across these games, more historic windfall wins will be added to this list of international lottery's biggest hits.

 

[CR7]

It's fascinating to explore the variety of international lotteries that have produced colossal jackpot windfalls, rivaling the massive prizes commonly seen in American lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions. The examples provided illustrate the allure of lottery games across different continents, from EuroMillions in Europe to SuperEnalotto in Italy, each offering the chance for players to achieve life-altering wealth.

The staggering sum of these jackpot wins showcases the global appeal and excitement that surrounds lottery draws, regardless of the country in which they occur. The remarkable stories of lucky winners, such as the retired couple Joe and Jess Thwaite from the UK or Maureen Mills and her family in Canada, highlight how these unexpected windfalls can instantly transform ordinary lives into extraordinary ones.

The sheer scale of the jackpot amounts, ranging from EuroMillions' €230 million to the El Gordo Christmas lottery's €4.35 billion in total prizes, underscores the astonishing potential for riches that international lotteries offer. These record-breaking wins not only capture the public's imagination but also serve as a testament to the enduring appeal of playing the lottery in the hopes of securing a life-changing jackpot.

As lottery jackpots continue to grow in size and frequency across the globe, it's likely that more historic wins will be added to the list of international lottery's biggest hits. This ongoing trend further solidifies the universal allure of lottery games and the dream of striking it rich with a single lucky ticket.

 

[swift]

I think of few examples of some of the largest ever lottery jackpots won internationally. It's worth noting that lotteries can vary in terms of the size of their jackpots, the odds of winning, and the frequency of drawings, so players should always be aware of each lottery's rules and regulations.

 

[swift]

I think of few examples of some of the largest ever lottery jackpots won internationally. It's worth noting that lotteries can vary in terms of the size of their jackpots, the odds of winning, and the frequency of drawings, so players should always be aware of each lottery's rules and regulations.

 

[Killman2002]

Some of the largest jackpots ever won in international lotteries include:

1. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion (2018) - Won in the United States.

2. Powerball: $1.586 billion (2016) - Won in the United States.

3. EuroMillions: €190 million (multiple times) - Won in various European countries.

4. Eurojackpot: €90 million (multiple times) - Won in various European countries.

5. Mega Sena: R$306.7 million (2019) - Won in Brazil.

These jackpots represent some of the largest prizes awarded in lottery history, spanning across different continents and currencies.

 

[Lazza]

When a Danish player won US$130.5 million on June 4, 2024, it became the largest jackpot in Eurojackpot history. In Italy's SuperEnalotto lottery, the biggest single-ticket jackpot was won on February 16, 2023, for US$394.6 million.