Irish Lotto Jackpot Guaranteed To Be Won on 15th January
The Irish Lotto rules have been changed to allow for a ‘Will Be Won’ event to take place on Saturday 15th January, paving the way for the record jackpot of €19.06 million to finally be given away.
There has not been a winner of the jackpot since Saturday 5th June, even though it reached its maximum amount at the end of September.
Winning players in the prize categories below the jackpot have benefited from money flowing down to them that would usually have gone to the top tier, but there was a feeling that the sequence of rollovers had gone on for too long and so lottery bosses asked regulators if a change could be made.
With approval now granted, the jackpot will be won on Saturday. If the pattern from the last few months continues and there are no winning tickets in the Match 6 category, the full amount will go to players in the highest category with winners.
In the most recent draw on Wednesday 12th January, there were no jackpot winners and three players in the Match 5 + Bonus tier won €253,314 each. If there was the same number of winners in the top two categories on Saturday, those three lucky ticket holders would win more than €6 million each.
Once Saturday’s draw has passed, any future jackpot will only be able to stay at its cap for a maximum of five draws before a Will Be Win draw will take place.
Biggest Lotto Winners
Saturday’s winners will receive the biggest prize in the history of Irish Lotto, breaking a record that has stood for more than 13 years.
Back in June 2008, a syndicate of quarry workers from Bennekerry in Co Carlow won €18.9 million. There were 15 men and one woman in the group, who played a €32 Quick Pick. Some of the winners even went into work the day after they won, as remaining members were away on holiday.
The jackpot has not been back above €15 million in the last 10 years, so the recent run of rollovers has been unprecedented. It is now guaranteed to be won at least, so pick up an entry and remember to check the Lotto results after the draw to see how you have got on.
Written by Lewis Rutledge, 13th January 2022
