You’ve checked the numbers. Your heart is doing that weird little fluttery thing. You’re staring at a screen, then at your crumpled slip of paper, then back at the screen. We’ve all been there. But honestly, most of the time, the way we digest EuroMillions lottery results is kinda frantic. We look for the jackpot, see we didn't hit all seven, and toss the ticket.
Big mistake.
Actually, the Friday, January 16, 2026, draw was a perfect example of why you shouldn't just "glance and ghost" your tickets. While nobody snagged the main £67 million (roughly €77 million) jackpot, the night was anything but a bust. In a rare move that felt like a late Christmas present, the UK Millionaire Maker didn't just pick one winner. It picked ten. Ten people woke up on Saturday morning as millionaires without even touching the main jackpot numbers.
The Numbers That Changed Everything (Or Didn't)
Let’s get the dry stuff out of the way first so you can actually check your old slips. For the January 16 draw, the winning balls were 05, 17, 24, 29, and 50. The Lucky Stars? Those were 05 and 10.
If you had those, you aren't reading this; you're probably buying a private island.
But here’s the thing about EuroMillions lottery results—the "middle" prizes are where the real action happens for most of us. In that same draw, three people matched five main numbers plus one Lucky Star. Their prize? A cool €265,077. Not quite "buy a fleet of Ferraris" money, but definitely "pay off the mortgage and take a year off" money.
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Why the Rollover Matters Now
Since nobody hit the "5+2" combo, the jackpot for the next draw on Tuesday, January 20, is estimated to hit around £75 million (€90 million).
When the jackpot rolls over, people start buying more tickets. It’s a psychological thing. But remember, the odds don't actually change just because the pile of money got bigger. Your chance of hitting the jackpot remains 1 in 139,838,160.
Sounds impossible? Kinda. But someone has to win.
In June 2025, the jackpot actually hit its absolute ceiling of €250 million. When it hits that cap, the rules change significantly. The money stays at €250 million for a few draws, and any extra funds that would have increased the jackpot start "rolling down" to the next prize tier (usually the 5+1 winners). This makes the secondary prizes absolutely massive.
The Millionaire Maker: The UK’s Secret Weapon
If you’re playing in the UK, your ticket automatically includes a Millionaire Maker code. It’s that string of four letters and five numbers at the bottom.
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Most people ignore it. Seriously.
But for the January 16 draw, the National Lottery went a bit wild. They guaranteed ten winners of £1 million each. This happens occasionally during special "Event Draws." Even if your main numbers were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and you didn't match a single thing, your raffle code could still be worth seven figures.
How to Check the Results Properly
- Don't trust your eyes alone. Use the official app. It has a scanner. It doesn't get tired or blurry-eyed at 11 PM.
- Check the raffle. I'll keep saying this until I'm blue in the face.
- Look for the "Plus" games. If you're in Ireland, you've got the "Plus" draw for an extra Euro. In the last draw, while the big jackpot stayed put, thousands of Irish players won smaller amounts through these add-ons.
Common Myths About EuroMillions results
I hear this a lot: "I should play the same numbers every week because they're 'due'."
Mathematically? That’s total nonsense. Every single draw is a "memoryless" event. The balls don't remember that they haven't been picked in a month. 05-17-24-29-50 has the exact same chance of appearing next Tuesday as 01-02-03-04-05 does.
Another one: "It's better to buy tickets in a small town because big cities have too many winners."
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Actually, big cities have more winners simply because more people live there and buy more tickets. The location of the shop doesn't affect the RNG (Random Number Generator) or the physical gravity of the balls in the Stresa machine in Paris.
What to Do if You Actually Win
Let’s say you’ve checked the EuroMillions lottery results and you've actually won something significant.
First, sign the back of the ticket. Right now. If you lose a physical ticket and it’s not signed, whoever finds it can technically claim it.
Second, don't go on Facebook. The impulse to "humble brag" is strong, but anonymity is your best friend. In the UK, you can choose to go public or stay quiet. Most winners choose to stay quiet, and for good reason.
Third, check the deadline. You usually have 180 days to claim your prize. If you wait 181 days, that money goes to the Good Causes fund. Great for the community, terrible for your bank account.
Actionable Steps for the Next Draw
- Set a Limit: It’s a game. Treat it like a coffee. If you can’t afford to lose £2.50, don't play.
- Join a Syndicate: This is the only way to actually "improve" your odds. By pooling money with friends, you buy more tickets. Your share of the prize is smaller, but your chance of winning something goes up.
- Check the "HotPicks": If the big jackpot feels too out of reach, EuroMillions HotPicks lets you play for smaller, fixed prizes by picking fewer numbers.
- Digital is Safer: If you buy your tickets online or through the official app, you get an email if you win. You can’t lose a digital ticket in the wash.
The next draw is coming up fast. Whether you're chasing the £75 million or just hoping for a cheeky tenner to cover lunch, make sure you're looking at the full breakdown of the results.
The jackpot is just the headline; the real stories are often hidden in the raffle codes and the secondary tiers.