Chris And Colin Weir Lottery
Colin & Christine Weir. Colin & Christine from Scotland became headline news when they banked one of the biggest jackpots in British history. The couple from Largs in Scotland banked a whopping £161 million from Euromillions, which catapulted them onto the Sunday Times Rich List, and made them two of Scotland's richest people. The Weir Charitable Trust will never email unsolicited offers of money to anyone, in any currency. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be representing the Trust and asking you to provide personal or financial details, it is a scam.
Participating countries in EuroMillions other countries (October 2004) | |
| Region | Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Website | www.national-lottery.co.uk/games/euromillions |
EuroMillions is a transnational lottery that requires seven correct numbers to win the jackpot. It was launched on 7 February 2004 by France's Française des Jeux, Spain's Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and the United Kingdom's Camelot. The first draw was held on 13 February 2004 in Paris.[citation needed] Initially, only the UK, France and Spain participated, with the Austrian, Belgian, Irish, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and Swiss lotteries joining for the 8 October 2004 draw.
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday night at 20:45 CET in Paris. A standard EuroMillions ticket costs €2.50, £2.50 or CHF3.50 per line played, but this depends on the local currency.
Ireland has an exclusive option called Plus, which adds €1.00 per line. As of February 2014, a non-optional addition called 'My Million' in France adds €0.50 per line, while in Portugal it is called 'M1lhão' and represents €0.30 of the whole €2.50 bet.
The cost of playing in the UK increased from £1.50 to £2.00 per line on 7 November 2009, due to the EUR/GBPexchange rate and automatic entry into its Millionaire Raffle. On 24 September 2016, the cost per line increased from £2.00 to £2.50 in the UK. On the same day, in Ireland and Spain it rose to €2.50 per line.
From 24 September 2016, the number of lucky stars changed from a pool of 11 to a pool of 12 numbers, decreasing the jackpot winning odds from 1:117million to 1:140million.
All prizes, including the jackpot, are tax-free (except in Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, since 2013) and are paid as a lump sum.
Play[edit]
- The player selects five main numbers which can be any number from 1 to 50.
- The player selects two different lucky star numbers from a pool of 12 numbers.
Draws take place at 20:45 every Tuesday and Friday in Paris. The results are published shortly after the draw on associated and independent websites around 20:45 UTC.[1]
To participate in the EuroMillions Lotto, tickets can be purchased from many outlets, namely at licensed stores and online websites.
The game play changed on Tuesday, 10 May 2011 with a second weekly draw and the number of 'lucky stars' in the Paquerette machine increasing from 9 to 11. A prize for matching two main numbers and no lucky stars was also introduced on the same date.
On Saturday, 24 September 2016, the number of 'lucky stars' increased again, from 11 to 12.
Eligibility[edit]
- According to the Euromillions rules page, no restriction on the nationality of buyer exists. Tourists/ Non-residents are eligible to participate in the EuroMillions lottery as long as they aged 18 or over. The minimum age differs in some countries, e.g. it is 16 years in the UK(before October 2021)[2] and Austria.[better source needed]
- The game is currently available to players in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France (including overseas regions and collectives), Ireland, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.[3][better source needed]
Prize structure[edit]
The prize structure as of Tuesday, 4 February 2020 is as follows:
| Main numbers | Lucky stars | Probability of winning (a) | % of prize fund (b) | Expected winnings (c) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fraction | % | (€) | (£)[4] | |||
| 2 | 0 | 1 in 22 | 4.57% | 16.59% | €4 | £3 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 in 49 | 2.03% | 10.3% | €6 | £5 |
| 1 | 2 | 1 in 188 | 0.53% | 3.27% | €7 | £6 |
| 3 | 0 | 1 in 314 | 0.32% | 2.7% | €9 | £8 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 in 706 | 0.14% | 1.45% | €11 | £9 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 in 985 | 0.10% | 1.3% | €14 | £12 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 in 13,811 | 0.0072% | 0.26% | €39 | £33 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 in 14,125 | 0.0071% | 0.37% | €57 | £48 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 in 31,075 | 0.0032% | 0.35% | €120 | £101 |
| 4 | 2 | 1 in 621,503 | 0.00016% | 0.19% | €1,299 | £1,094 |
| 5 | 0 | 1 in 3,107,515 | 0.000032% | 0.61% | €20,851 | £17,555 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 in 6,991,908 | 0.000014% | 2.61% | €200,738 | £169,001 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 in 139,838,160 | 0.00000072% | 50% or 42% (X) | Jackpot | |
| Prize Guarantee Fund | 10% or 18% (X) | |||||
| Overall | 1 in 13 | 7.71% | 100% | €14 | £12 | |
The Prize Guarantee Fund is available to contribute to the jackpot, for example, to boost the initial jackpot in a sequence of growing jackpots. The amount utilized each week is determined in advance by the participating lotteries.
- (a) per entry
- (b) prize fund = 50% of sales main draw
- (b) sales main draw = €2.20 in pounds sterling per entry (exchange rate!) times number of entries
- (X) draw 1 to 5: 50% + 10% & draw 6 (or higher): 42% + 18%
- (c) expected winnings are based on the currency exchange rate as at 7 December 2019, 1 euro = 0.8419 pound, rounded to 1 pound
- The odds of winning any prize at all are 1 in 13
- The odds of getting none of the 50 main balls but getting both lucky stars is approximately 1 in 115. This means that it is less likely than getting 2 main balls and one lucky star (1 in 49). However, there is no prize for only getting 2 lucky stars.
- The figures for the estimated prize are just a guide, and the actual amount varies according to the total in the prize fund and the number of winners for each prize. (Estimated prizes as per reverse of UK payslip)
- If the Jackpot is not won, it rolls over to the next draw.
Effective 7 November 2009 new rules were put in place regarding rollovers.[better source needed]
- The new rules introduce the Jackpot Pool Cap. The jackpot will continue to roll over until the Jackpot reaches or exceeds €185,000,000, the Jackpot will remain at €185,000,000 and any additional prize money rolled over will be added to the jackpot pool for the next lower prize level containing at least one winner (5 main numbers + 1 Lucky Star or possibly even just five main numbers).
- After winning the Jackpot with a Jackpot Pool Cap, the Jackpot Pool Cap grows by €5,000,000. (In other words, after the capped Jackpot of €185,000,000 is won, the next Jackpot Pool Cap is €190,000,000, then the next time €195,000,000, etc.)
- If the €190,000,000 Jackpot is still not won, the Jackpot will continue to be €190,000,000 for the next draw if it is won, and again any additional prize money will be added to the jackpot pool for the next lower prize level containing at least one winner.
A new rule change of 12 January 2012 locks the Jackpot cap at €190,000,000 permanently and if the jackpot is not won after two draws, the prize money will be distributed among the winners at the next level. A new rule change of 24 September 2016 states that if the jackpot is not won five draws after it reaches €190,000,000, the prize money will be distributed among the winners at the next level. The minimum jackpot prize increased from fifteen million euros to seventeen million euros.
As of February 4, 2020, the rules regarding the EuroMillions jackpot are about to change. The new cap will be €200,000,000, but that will no longer be the largest amount that the first prize can reach. If the jackpot gets to this amount the cycle can last for five draws. If there are no winners in this 5th draw the jackpot is paid out to the lower tier. The jackpot stays fixed during this five final draws of the cycle. For the next cycle the maximum jackpot is set to €210,000,000 (an increase by €10,000,000). Then again the jackpot payout in the 5th final draw of this cycle. The jackpot stays fixed during this five final draws of the cycle. And so on....for the next cycles the maximum jackpot can reach 220, 230, 240 and maximum 250 million euros.
EuroMillions Trust[edit]
The participating national lotteries in the EuroMillions game have each established a EuroMillions Trust account. This is used for the settlement of all amounts due, and for holding amounts in respect of future prizes. This trust arrangement protects the participating lotteries between them from a default from one of the national companies, and ultimately the players' interests.
Super Draws and Event Draws[edit]
Super Draws and Event Draws are special drawings when the Jackpot is set to a guaranteed amount – often €100,000,000. The difference is that a Super Draw jackpot will roll over to the next drawing if not won, but an Event Draw jackpot will be distributed among the winners in the next lower tier (i.e. match 5 + 1). Until now, jackpots in a Super Draw have rolled over to the next drawing if not won.
The first Super Draw of 2011 took place on Tuesday 10 May to mark the introduction of the second weekly Euromillions draw and changes to the game format (11 lucky stars instead of 9 and a new 'match 2 main numbers and no lucky stars' prize tier).
The first Super Draw of 2016 took place on Friday 30 September to introduce the change to the game format (12 lucky stars instead of 11 and increased price).
Event Draws have been held to date on
- 9 February 2007 (€100 million);
- 28 September 2007 (€130 million);
- 8 February 2008 (€130 million);
- 26 September 2008 (€130 million).
Super Draws have been held to date on
- 6 March 2009 (€100 million);
- 18 September 2009 (€100 million);
- 5 February 2010 (€100 million);
- 1 October 2010 (€100 million);
- 10 May 2011 (€100 million);
- 4 October 2011 (€100 million);
- 28 September 2012 (€100 million);
- 22 March 2013 (€100 million);
- 7 June 2013 (€100 million);
- 15 November 2013 (€100 million);
- 7 March 2014 (€100 million);
- 3 October 2014 (€100 million);
- 6 March 2015 (€100 million);
- 5 June 2015 (€100 million);
- 6 November 2015 (€100 million);
- 30 September 2016 (€130 million);
- 30 June 2017 (€100 million);
- 15 September 2017 (€130 million);
- 20 April 2018 (€130 million);
- 21 September 2018 (€130 million);
- 1 February 2019 (€120 million);
- 7 June 2019 (€130 million);
- 7 February 2020 (€130 million);
- 3 July 2020 (€130 million);
- 25 September 2020 (€130 million);
- 20 November 2020 (€130 million);
- 5 February 2021 (€130 million).
A €100,000,000 Super draw was planned for 6 June 2014 but was cancelled when the jackpot rolled over to €105,000,000.[5]
This is a change to the game rules[better source needed] as of 4 April 2011 when the Event Draw was added.
Chris And Colin Weir Lottery Results
Largest Jackpots[edit]
| Rank | Date | Jackpot in Euro | Winner | Prize in Euro | Prize in Pound Sterling | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-02-26 | 210,000,000 | 1 | 210,000,000 | 182,028,000.00 | AJ D7 |
| 2 | 2020-12-11 | 200,000,000 | 1 | 200,000,000 | 183,120,000.00 | AJ D7 |
| 3 | 2017-10-06 | 190,000,000 | 1 | 190,000,000 | 170,810,000.00 | AJ D7 |
| 4 | 2019-10-08 | 190,000,000 | 1 | 190,000,000 | 170,221,000.00 | D23 |
| 5 | 2014-10-24 | 190,000,000 | 1 | 190,000,000 | 149,758,000.00 | AJ D7 |
| 6 | 2012-08-10 | 190,000,000 | 1 | 190,000,000 | 148,656,000.00 | D15 |
| 7 | 2013-06-25 | 187,937,614 | 2 | 93,968,807 | 79,779,517.00 | AJ D6 |
| 8 | 2011-07-12 | 185,000,000 | 1 | 185,000,000 | 161,653,000.00 | D15 |
| 9 | 2006-02-03 | 183,573,078 | 3 | 61,191,026 | 44,575,511.45 | D12 |
| 10 | 2006-11-17 | 183,109,056 | 20 | 9,652,339 | 6,530,289.95 | RO2 D12 |
| 11 | 2018-02-23 | 177,724,496 | 2 | 88,862,248 | 77,798,898.10 | D16 |
- AJ: Announced Jackpot (Super Draw)
- RO2: Roll over in the 2nd Prize Category
- Dy: y is the number of Draws from starting the minimum Jackpot (roll-ups)
Notable wins[edit]
Chris And Colin Weir Lottery Winner
| Rank | Date | Prize in Euro | Prize in Pound Sterling | Prize in Swiss Franc | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-02-26 | 210,000,000 | 182,028,000.00 | 230,223,000.00 | Switzerland |
| 2 | 2020-12-11 | 200,000,000 | 183,120,000.00 | 215,862,600.00 | France |
| 3 | 2017-10-06 | 190,000,000 | 170,810,000.00 | 218,348,000.00 | Spain |
| 4 | 2019-10-08 | 190,000,000 | 170,221,000.00 | 206,512,000.00 | UK |
| 5 | 2014-10-24 | 190,000,000 | 149,758,000.00 | 229,484,090.00 | Portugal |
| 6 | 2012-08-10 | 190,000,000 | 148,656,000.00 | 228,456,000.00 | UK |
| 7 | 2011-07-12 | 185,000,000 | 161,653,000.00 | 214,507,500.00 | UK |
| 8 | 2019-02-19 | 175,475,380 | 152,400,366.00 | 199,482,693.15 | Ireland |
| 9 | 2012-11-13 | 169,837,010 | 136,124,363.00 | 204,704,548.15 | France |
| 10 | 2016-10-11 | 168,085,323 | 153,361,048.00 | 183,969,890.30 | Belgium |
| 11 | 2015-11-20 | 163,553,041 | 114,814,234.00 | 177,715,589.50 | Portugal |
The first huge jackpot of over €115.4 million was won by Irish lady Dolores McNamara on 29 July 2005. On 3 February 2006, three winners shared the record jackpot of €183 million after the first rank was eleven draws vacant. Two French people and one Portuguese received €61,191,026 each. In order to limit the jackpot from growing higher, the rules of the game in the period from 2006 to 2009 stipulated that after the twelfth draw without a winner before the jackpot amount would be rolled down and shared between the winners in the next prize tier. This happened for the first time on 17 November 2006, after over €183 million had accumulated in the jackpot. The sum was shared between the winners of the second rank (there were 20 winners of €9.6 million each). The first highest jackpot with €190 million was won by the Bayford couple from England on 10 August 2012, and they received 'only' £148.6 million because of the strength of the pound. The €185 million (£161.6 million) jackpot that was won by the Weir couple from Scotland on 12 July 2011 was considered to be the highest jackpot in the UK until Peter Wilson's win on the 8 October 2019.
A jackpot of nearly €175.5 million was won by a family syndicate of 8 siblings (7 alive and one who had passed away but whose family were still included in the winnings) who were from Naul in North County Dublin on 19 February 2019.
A jackpot of €190 million (£170.2 million) was won by a single ticket holder in the UK bearing the winning numbers - 7,10,15,44,49 and the lucky numbers 3,12.
Distribution of revenue[edit]
In the UK, the total EuroMillions revenue is broken down as follows:[citation needed]
| Breakdown of UK EuroMillions revenue | |
|---|---|
| 0.5% | in profit to Camelot |
| 4.5% | in operating costs |
| 5% | in commission to the retailers. |
| 12% | to the UK Government (Lottery Duty) |
| 28% | for the 'Good Causes' |
| 50% | to winners |
Email scams making use of EuroMillions brand name[edit]
Chris and Colin Weir won the EuroMillions and pledged to donate their prize money to good causes.[6] However, cybercriminals started using their names in their email scams to fool the general public and ultimately cheat them of money.[7]
EuroMillions Plus (Ireland only)[edit]
In June 2007, with the success of the main EuroMillions game, the Irish National Lottery launched EuroMillions Plus. For an extra €1 per line, players could enter the additional draw with the top prize each week of €500,000. Sales of the main EuroMillions in Ireland for 2006 were over €145 million; this success led to the introduction of 'Plus'.
UK Millionaire Maker[edit]
Since November 2009 at least one UK player every week has won a guaranteed £1,000,000. With the introduction of the Tuesday EuroMillions Draw on Tuesday 10 May 2011 there were 2 Millionaire Raffle winners each week. Changes to Euromillions in September 2016 meant that two guaranteed Millionaire Raffle winners were made per draw, or 4 per week across the two draws.
According to the Euromillions website, the chances of winning the UK Millionaire Maker game on a Tuesday can be estimated as 1 in 1,900,000. This can shrink to 1 in 2,250,000 in the events of rollovers. On a Friday, it can be calculated as 1 in 2,950,000 but again the odds can fall to 1 in 3,400,000 in the events of a 4 times rollover. Winning in this game depends entirely on the number of the payslips sold so the odds fluctuate. The odds may also fluctuate during a super draw or a special event in the UK Millionaire Raffle.
Prices per line in the UK increased by 50p to £2.00. The 50p was added due to weak exchange rates between the pound and the euro and to cover the expense of the new Millionaire Maker.On 24 September 2016 the price per line in the UK was increased by an additional 50p to £2.50.
In January 2019, the number of guaranteed winners in the UK Millionaire Maker game reverted to one.
See also[edit]
- Eurojackpot - a similar transnational lottery in Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
- Vikinglotto - a similar transnational lottery in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia and Belgium.
References[edit]
- ^https://www.fdj.fr/mag/questions/euromillions-my-million-heure
- ^https://www.lotterypost.com/news/334741
- ^'Participating countries of the Euromillions lottery (Euromillions Rules and FAQ Explained, 2020)'.
- ^'EuroMillions Prizes and Prize Fund Distribution'. national-lottery.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^'EuroMillions draw: lottery postponed after jackpot naturally passes €100 million mark after rollovers and strong ticket sales'. The Independent. 5 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
- ^'BBC News - Lottery win: Euromillions couple are 'tickled pink''. BBC News. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^Lauren Crooks (12 August 2012). 'Internet fraudsters pose as Scots lotto millionaires in bid to dupe the gullible out of cash'. The Daily Record. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
External links[edit]
When the couple from Largs near Glasgow won their fortune, they admit it was impossible for them to sleep all night. The fact that the Camelot claims line had closed for the evening didn’t help a great deal. Their £161,653,000 win was at the time the largest UK lottery win.
At the time of their win Colin was 64 and a retired TV cameraman and studio manager, while his wife, Chris, 55, was a psychiatric nurse. The couple had been married for 30 years and had two children.
Talking about their win, Colin said: “All our lives we have lived within our means and been comfortable. We appreciate that this money brings about a whole new life for us and our family. ‘We now have so many new opportunities to explore but we won’t rush it. For us, it will be a gradual change with choices to be made.”
Finding a new home is an inevitable task for multi-million lottery winners and the couple certainly enjoy buying houses. They began by purchasing a £1m home in Largs but then they decided to get something much larger.They took just ten minutes to decide on splashing out £3.5m on a stately home in Troon, Scotland and all its contents came as part of the deal. They had previously turned down another stately home in the area because its five acres of grounds simply weren’t big enough for them. Their new home has 32 acres and had been built in 1909 for an Indian tea planter and at one time was an old folks’ home before being transformed into an “exclusive use” hotel.
The mansion features a minstrels’ gallery with a 36,000 piece crystal chandelier and a billiards room with Inglenook fireplace. The grounds include fountains, greenhouses and even a market garden.
Also helped by the Weirs was the Largs Thistle junior football club. They received a donation that helped them refurbish their ground. The National Sports Training Centre in Largs also received financial help from the pair.
The couple have sponsored teenager tennis player Ross Wilson allowing him to attend the same tennis academy in Barcelona that Andy Murray went to. Also receiving help were teenage racing driver Gregor Ramsay and blind chess player Stephen Hilton allowing him to compete in the World Braille Chess Championships
After seeing cancer-survivor Kieran Maxwell fall as he carried the Olympic torch in 2012, they bought him a new prosthetic leg.
In February 2013 the couple launched the Weir Charitable Trust with a £5m endowment. The Trust supports services/projects, run by Scottish-based community groups and small charities in sport, recreational facilities, animal welfare, health and culture.Donations have been made to a wide variety of groups including Scottish Dalmatian Welfare, Borders Talking Newspapers, The Glasgow Children’s Home Scheme and Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
2014 saw a national referendum held in Scotland on whether they wanted to leave the UK and become independent. The Weirs strongly supported the ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign and donated over £3m which meant nearly 80% of donations to the pro-independence campaign in the twelve months leading up to the vote came from the couple. Sadly for the couple the nation voted against independence from the UK.The donations led to accusations that the Weirs had been duped into making their donations. In response to the criticism they had a letter published in the Scotsman. They confirmed they were “lifelong supporters of independence” and “it would be strange if we did not support the Yes Scotland campaign.” The couple declared that “no one bullied or targeted us.”