Record lottery win is “made in Switzerland”

The Swiss have been able to play the EuroMillions game since October Keystone

Lady Luck has smiled on someone in canton Valais in the south of the country, with a record EuroMillions lottery jackpot win of SFr99 million ($82.6 million).

The playslip was officially registered at a newsstand in a shopping centre in the town of Sierre, shortly after 5pm on Friday.

The winner or winners, who chose seven numbers correctly, now have six months to claim their prize.

Lottery authorities say the exact prize money is SFr99,039,018 before a withholding tax of about a third.

The woman who runs the newsstand found out on Saturday morning from customers that the winning slip had been registered at her kiosk.

“People would like to know exactly who the winner is… Customers usually come to register their slips on Fridays,” she said.

Focal point

The newsstand has now become a focal point of interest, with the media and customers all wondering about the identity of the lucky owner of the playslip.

Before the draw, the previous EuroMillions record prize money had stood at SFr66 million, won by someone in Portugal in February.

The new record came about because nobody had made a complete correct entry since then.

Switzerland’s own numbers lottery has never reached such a high figure, with the record standing at SFr18 million and dating back to 1990.

According to statistics, by playing one board at a cost of SFr3.20, there is a one in 76 million chance of winning the jackpot and one chance in 24 of winning anything at all.

Jackpot cracked

A spokesman for Swisslos, one of the coordinators of the game in Switzerland, said there was a chance of the jackpot being cracked in Switzerland every to two to three years.

Playslips for EuroMillions have been on sale in Switzerland since last October. The trans-national lottery was launched in February 2004 in France, Spain and Britain.

Apart from Switzerland, other countries that have joined are Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria and Portugal.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

The playslip with five correct numbers and two stars carries a prize money of exactly SFr99,039,018 – before deduction of a withholding tax of about a third.
The record win from a Swiss lottery was SFr18 million in 1990.
EuroMillions has been operating in Switzerland since last October.
A record SFr92 million was paid out in a national lottery in Italy in 2003.
In the United States, prize money of SFr630 was won in a lottery in 2000.

In brief

The winning entry had the following numbers: 7, 11, 25, 31, 50 and the stars 1 and 3.

Gambling in Switzerland is subject to both federal and cantonal laws and regulations.

Only two companies are permitted to run lotteries – Loterie Romande in the French-language region and Swisslos in the German- and Italian-speaking parts of the country.

Net profit from Switzerland’s numbers lottery goes to the common good, for example to promote culture, education and sport.