Euromillions made another millionaire last Friday, March 28, with a jackpot of 243 million euros attributed to an Austria gambler. However, it is not yet known if the prize has been claimed. This is not the first time that a big winner has been having the opportunity to change his life.
A record jackpot without winner in sight
In Portugal, every year there are tens of millions of euros in awards that are never raised. According to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia, last year alone, they were claiming 68 million euros. The reason? Many gamblers simply do not check their bulletins or forget to save them safely.
Lost fortunes cases
History is repeated in several European countries. In 2024, a small village in Spain was weeks in suspense waiting for a winner who never appeared to claim 162 million euros. Fortunately for him, he had made the online bet and managed to redeem the prize before the deadline.
Already in Portugal, one of the most media cases was that of a Castelo Branco truck driver who, without knowing it, walked for months with a award -winning 190 million ticket in his wallet.
The mystery lasted until he heard a news on the radio on a prize for complaining in his area. Out of curiosity, he decided to check the numbers and realized that he was the multimillionaire that everyone was looking for.
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The deadline and taxes on luck
EuroMillions winners have 90 days to complain about the prize. If they do not do it within this period, the money reverses in favor of the Holy House of Mercy, while the Portuguese State loses the opportunity to charge taxes on the amount.
As referred to since 2013, any prize of over five thousand euros is subject to a rate of 20%. In the case of the Castelo Branco trucker, it meant that 38 million euros went directly to the state’s coffers.
The same does not happen in all countries, in Luxembourg, for example, Euromillions winners receive the prize in full and always maintain anonymity.
Betting without confirming the results
Hitting the EuroMillions key is a rare feat, the likelihood of winning Jackpot is from 1 to 139,838,160. However, even with this difficulty, there are those who do not check the bulletins and waste fortunes.
For many players, the bet on Euromillions becomes a routine habit. Some do so without even checking the numbers after the draw. Others lose the bulletins or leave us forgotten in the pocket of a coat.
Currently, there are still several award -winning bulletins in Europe, who will never be claimed. And in Portugal, Santa Casa thanks.
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