UK Lotto Or EuroMillions - Compare Your Winning Chances

Please note: this article is comparing the standard UK Lotto and EuroMillions jackpots hosted by Camelot. 

A Quick History

In 1994 the UK's first state lottery was authorised by John Major's conservative party, with the first draw taking place in November of that year. Almost the entire country turned out to buy a ticket, including the Queen, who won a tenner.

In 2015 lottery officials extended the amount of numbers from 49 to 59, which dramatically increased the odds of winning, and saw a large public backlash. The price of a ticket also doubled from £1 to £2.

EuroMillions was founded in early 2004 with the intention of being the world's largest multinational lottery, although not the first, as that honour goes to the Viking Lottery. Initially the draw included England, France and Spain, with 10 other countries joining later that year.

Like the UK Lotto, EuroMillions underwent a revamp, and in September of this year the jackpot odds were extended to 1 in 140 million thanks to the addition of an extra Lucky Star number. The price of each ticket also rose by 25%, to £2.50 per line.

Lotto Comparison

While the UK Lotto's jackpot odds are much lower than EuroMillions, the jackpots on offer are significantly smaller. Plus, with the new format the jackpots for EuroMillions are expected to be much higher than they were previously.

With more prize tiers on offer, the chance of banking a prize with EuroMillions is higher, although the odds of the lowest prize tier win are more favourable on the UK Lotto.

Cost of entry is 50p more expensive with EuroMillions, though of course your extra 50p buys you a shot at the much bigger jackpot. 

Which One Is For Me?

Like all things, a lot of it comes down to personal choice. If you love big, headline-grabbing jackpots then EuroMillions is for you. However, if you're happy to compromise millions for better jackpot odds, perhaps the UK Lotto is a better alternative.

However, here at Lottoland we have a whole host of lotto jackpots to bet on, all of which boast far better jackpot odds than the UK Lotto, and many are even cheaper to enter!

UK Lotto Alternatives – Bet Better

You might not have heard of the Irish or Swedish Lottos, but they're some of our favourite products. Why? Because they offer considerably better value for money than their British counterpart.

Here is how they compare:

*approximately – based on current exchange rate

** Jackpot was $144 million SEK, and won in 2005. This figure is based on the current exchange rate.

As you can see the Swedish Lotto is significantly easier to win than the other two, and is cheaper to enter. The Irish Lotto - which has been a popular alternative for UK players for many years - also boasts very low jackpot odds.

The Irish Lotto also has the most prize tiers, meaning players are more likely to bank a prize.

For us it's a no brainer, if you want big jackpots, EuroMillions is your lottery, but if you're looking for a more achievable jackpot the UK Lotto is the best choice. While neither of these lotteries is available to bet on at Lottoland there are several great alteternatives like EuroJackpot and Irish Lotto.