Tonight’s €17 million (est) Lotto jackpot will be the second highest of all time!

Lotto fever continues to grip the country as tonight’s Lotto jackpot heads towards an estimated €17 million. Since the Lotto game launched in 1988, only one jackpot in excess of €17 million has ever been won which means that a single winner of tonight’s Lotto jackpot could become Ireland’s second largest jackpot winner in the history of the game.

So far this year, there have been five Lotto jackpot wins by players in Limerick, Kilkenny, Westmeath, Cork and Galway. A potential jackpot winner tonight would take the title of Ireland’s newest multi-millionaire as well as 6th Lotto jackpot winner of 2021.

The current Lotto jackpot has been rolling for over three months since Wednesday 9th June and due to the high level of public interest, the National Lottery has urged players to avoid queues where possible and to purchase their tickets in store, online at www.lottery.ie or through the National Lottery App ahead of the cut off time of 7.45pm.

A National Lottery spokesperson said: “Tonight’s draw could prove truly life-changing for one lucky Lotto player. A single winner could find themselves at number two on the list of all time highest Lotto jackpot winners in Ireland which we know is a highly coveted title. As the jackpot rolls, ticket sales are continuing to grow and we are appealing to players to follow public health guidelines and to purchase tickets early either in store, in app or at www.lottery.ie ahead of the deadline for sales at 7.45pm. Will tonight’s draw mark the end of the extraordinary jackpot roll which has lasted for the majority of the summer? Only time will tell!”

The current Lotto jackpot has been on an unprecedented roll without a winner since June and is now edging very close to reaching the current jackpot cap. The Lotto jackpot is currently capped at €18.96 million and this represents the record breaking Lotto jackpot win by the Dan Morrissey syndicate in Carlow in June 2008. Once the jackpot exceeds the cap, no more money will be added to the jackpot prize until it is won. The funds that would normally go to the jackpot will be distributed to the next lower prize tier at which there are winners. If the jackpot is won at an amount higher than €18.96 million, that amount will become the game’s new jackpot cap.

See below for a roll call of the top 3 Lotto jackpots wins in the history of the game in Ireland.

DateLotto WinnersCountyJackpot
28-Jun-08Dan Morrissey Syndicate from Carlow claim Ireland’s biggest ever win.Carlow18,963,441
22-Sept-21Wednesday’s €17 million estimated jackpot17 million (EST)
14-Apr-10Waterford couple purchase their winningticket at Easons store in Dungarvan Co. Waterford.Waterford16,717,717

Meanwhile, the Kerry Lotto player who scooped €257,723 after matching five numbers and the bonus in Saturday night’s draw has made contact with the National Lottery and arrangements are now being made for them to claim their prize. The lucky ticket holder came within just one number of the €16,419,005 jackpot on offer in Saturday night’s draw after purchasing their winning ticket at Carson’s Daybreak store in Beaufort village.

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish Language. In total more than €6 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 34 years ago. In 2020 alone, €254 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland. 

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