Eurojackpot Lottery Player in Berlin Scores $120M Top Prize

Posted on: November 9, 2022, 07:02h. 

Last updated on: November 9, 2022, 01:40h.

The chances of winning the Eurojackpot lottery are around one in 140 million. Still, at some point, someone can pull it off, which is what happened to one player in Berlin, who pocketed the maximum prize of €120 million (US$120.9 million) last week.

The Eurojackpot found a winner for the first time after 16 draws without a main prize win, as Westlotto announced following the draw in Helsinki. Someone has already stepped forward to claim the winnings, although the lottery operator didn’t provide further information.

While there have been several lottery winners in Germany, its capital city of Berlin has never been that lucky. As with all lottery payouts in the country, the individual or group that won gets to keep the entire amount since lottery winnings are tax-free.

The 18 participating European countries changed the rules for the 10th anniversary of the lottery at the end of March 2022. Then, they raised the upper limit from €90 million to €120 million (US$90.7 million to $120.9 million). In May, a group from North Rhine-Westphalia cleared €110 million (US$110.85 million) in May, setting a record win for Germany.

Eurojackpot Reaches New Heights

The latest jackpot prize surpasses that and marks the second time this year that a ticket matched all the right numbers for €120 million. This past July, a jackpot worth €120 million went to a winning ticket in Denmark.

Until the rule change in the spring, German players in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia won the top prizes of €90 million. North Rhine-Westphalia had two big winners.

According to Westlotto, 17 other players, or groups of players, won second prizes, as the Berliner took the big one. There were €18 million worth of payouts, which also set a Eurojackpot record.

There were similar winners in Denmark, Hungary, and Poland. The €18 million in payouts beat the record of €15 million, which endured since Feb. 7, 2020.

The Eurojackpot is just one of several options available to German consumers. The Spiel 77, Super 6, and Glücksspirale, among others, are also available. After the Eurojackpot, the largest lottery is the country’s Lotto. It has a maximum payout of €45 million (US$45.2 million).

Eclipsed by Powerball

As large as the latest Eurojackpot prize was, it’s still much smaller than the Powerball jackpot in the US this week. A ticket sold at a service station in Altadena, Calif., matched all six numbers in the November 7 draw, with a top prize of $2.04 billion.

The draw should have occurred on Monday night. But it was delayed after one of the participating states, experiencing a run on purchases, needed more time to complete required security measures.

The winner, who hasn’t yet been identified, can receive a payout of about $1.4 billion (before taxes). The other option is to receive the amount paid over three decades in annuities.

While the winner’s identity is still under wraps, the identity of the convenience store owner that sold the ticket isn’t. Joe Chahayed, according to TMZ, is the owner behind Joe’s Service Center, and is also the father-in-law of former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko, Sr. Because his store sold the winning ticket, Chahayed will receive $1 million from Powerball.