There has been a lot of debate over the seemingly “unwinnable” mega Lotto jackpot of €19.06 million which has been rolling over since June 2021.
Doubts have been publicly cast on the National Lottery's organisation over recent months as many people question how there could be no winner at this point.
In response to the public outcry, a special “will-be-won” draw will take place this weekend, meaning the jackpot will finally be snapped up - and rules are being put in place so such a lengthy rollover is not seen again.
While the likelihood of someone winning the entire jackpot to themselves seems slim after the past seven months, new rules could see multiple people become Ireland’s newest millionaires.
New rules
In the case of the Lotto jackpot being won outright where a player matches all six numbers in the Lotto draw, they will become Ireland’s largest ever Lotto jackpot winner and claim the €19.06 million jackpot.
If the Lotto jackpot is not won outright, the full value of the jackpot prize will flow down to the winners of the next winning prize tier.
For example, if there are no players who match 6 numbers in the draw but there are winners at the Match 5+Bonus prize tier, they will win the €19.06 million jackpot as well as the additional funds that would usually go to the jackpot.
Explaining the reasoning behind this weekend’s draw, a spokesperson said: “The current Lotto jackpot rollover is unprecedented in the history of the game and has resulted in there being no Lotto jackpot winner in the game since June 5, 2021.
“The approved game changes will bring this roll to a celebratory end and ensure that a player(s) can enjoy this life-changing prize by a guaranteed date.”
No more rollovers
To avoid anymore seven or eight month rollover of a jackpot, the National Lottery has confirmed that in the future, “should the Lotto exceed the current jackpot cap of €19.06 million in any given draw, that amount will become the new Lotto jackpot cap and any excess which would usually be added to the jackpot would flow down to the next prize tier at which there is a winner.
“Under the new Lotto game rules, the Lotto jackpot will remain capped for a maximum of five draws and if there is no outright jackpot winner on the fifth draw at cap, the entire jackpot fund flows down to the next winning prize tier.”
