When Eurojackpot held its first draw in Helsinki on March 23, 2012, just seven countries participated: Germany, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Italy. The prize pool was modest by today’s standards, the minimum jackpot sat at €10 million, and the cap was €90 million. Nobody could have predicted that within twelve years, the lottery would span nineteen nations, offer a €120 million top prize, and generate weekly stakes exceeding €40 million per draw. Greece became the nineteenth participating country in March 2024, extending the lottery’s reach across Southern Europe. Now, as the calendar turns toward 2027, the Eurojackpot consortium faces a pivotal moment: the expansion pipeline, the prize structure, and the regulatory environment are all converging to reshape how the game grows and how jackpots accumulate.
The story of Eurojackpot has always been about scale. Every new country that joins brings millions of potential players, each contributing ticket revenue that flows into a shared prize pool. More players mean faster jackpot growth, higher rollover amounts, and larger payouts in every tier. But expansion also introduces complexity: regulatory alignment across jurisdictions, tax treatment differences, age requirements, and the challenge of maintaining a unified prize structure across disparate national lottery systems. The changes anticipated for 2027 — whether they involve new participating countries, adjustments to the prize pool distribution, or modifications to the cap mechanism — will affect every player who buys a €2 ticket from Helsinki to Athens.
The expansion timeline: how Eurojackpot grew to nineteen countries
Eurojackpot’s growth has followed a deliberate, phased approach. Rather than opening the doors to all interested nations at once, the consortium has added countries in waves, ensuring that each new participant can integrate its national lottery infrastructure with the shared draw system operated in Helsinki. Understanding this timeline provides context for what comes next, because the pattern of expansion reveals both the pace and the strategic logic behind each addition.
The progression from seven founding nations to nineteen participants unfolded over twelve years through five distinct expansion phases.
| Expansion phase | Date | Countries added | Total participants | Impact on player pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founding launch | March 2012 | Germany, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Netherlands, Slovenia + Italy (April 2012) | 7 | ~85 million potential players |
| First expansion | February 2013 | Croatia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden | 13 | ~30 million additional players |
| Second expansion | October 2014 | Czech Republic, Hungary | 15 | ~20 million additional players |
| Third expansion | October 2015 | Slovakia | 16 | ~5 million additional players |
| Fourth expansion | September 2017 | Poland | 17 | ~38 million additional players |
| Fifth expansion | March 2024 | Greece | 19 (Spain joined EuroMillions and Eurojackpot simultaneously earlier) | ~10 million additional players |
The table makes one thing immediately clear: Poland’s addition in 2017 was the single most impactful expansion in Eurojackpot’s history. With a population of approximately 38 million, Poland added more potential players than any previous participant and fundamentally changed the dynamics of jackpot growth. The effect was measurable: jackpots began climbing faster, the cap was reached more frequently, and the rollover cycles shortened. Greece in 2024 added a smaller but still significant player base, strengthening Eurojackpot’s presence in Southern Europe.
What 2027 brings: the expansion pipeline and prize pool implications
As of late 2026, the Eurojackpot consortium has not officially announced a twentieth participating country with a confirmed start date. However, multiple European nations have been identified as candidates for future membership, and the lottery’s governing body has indicated that expansion remains a strategic priority. The countries most frequently discussed in lottery industry circles as potential additions include Romania, Bulgaria, and potentially Turkey — each representing a significant population base that would inject fresh revenue into the shared prize pool.
Romania stands out as the most likely candidate. With a population of approximately 19 million, Romania has an established national lottery operated by Loteria Română, which already manages multiple draw-based games. Integrating Romania into Eurojackpot would add roughly 5-7 million regular lottery players to the pool, based on participation rates in comparable European markets. Bulgaria, with a population of about 6.5 million, would contribute a smaller but meaningful increment. Turkey, while geographically and demographically compelling with over 85 million people, presents significant regulatory and political complexities that make near-term participation unlikely.
The potential addition of even one or two new countries in 2027 would have a measurable effect on how jackpots grow. More ticket sales per draw mean more money allocated to the prize pool, which translates to faster jackpot accumulation during rollover streaks. A jackpot that currently takes six draws to reach €50 million with nineteen countries might reach the same level in four or five draws with twenty or twenty-one participants — a seemingly small difference that compounds significantly over the course of a rollover cycle.
Several concrete effects would follow from adding new participating countries to the Eurojackpot consortium.
- Faster jackpot escalation during rollovers: each additional million players contributing €2 per ticket adds approximately €2 million per draw to the prize pool, accelerating the climb from the €10 million minimum toward the €120 million cap.
- More frequent cap activation: with faster growth, the jackpot would reach the €120 million ceiling more often, triggering the overflow mechanism that diverts excess funds into the second prize tier — creating larger secondary payouts for players who match five numbers plus one Euro number.
- Increased competition for tier prizes: more players means more tickets in every draw, which increases the likelihood of multiple winners sharing a prize tier. A jackpot that would have been won by a single ticket might be split between two or three winners, reducing individual payouts.
- Regulatory harmonisation challenges: new countries bring their own tax rules, age restrictions, and claim deadlines. Italy taxes winnings above €500 at 20%, Spain taxes winnings above €40,000 at the same rate, while Germany and Finland treat all prizes as tax-free. A new participant adds another layer of complexity to an already uneven landscape.
- Logistical demands on the Helsinki draw system: every additional country requires integration with the central draw apparatus, including number verification, prize calculation, and winner validation. The system has proven scalable so far, but each addition increases the operational load.
- Strategic competition with EuroMillions: Eurojackpot’s expansion directly challenges EuroMillions, which operates in nine countries (UK, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland). Every new Eurojackpot participant narrows the gap between the two lotteries’ combined player pools.
The cumulative effect of these changes is not simply “bigger jackpots.” The entire prize ecosystem shifts. Lower tiers become more competitive, overflow events become more impactful, and the strategic calculus for players — especially those who buy multiple lines or participate in syndicates — changes accordingly. A player who currently calculates expected value based on nineteen countries’ participation would need to recalculate with the larger pool, because the probability of sharing a prize increases even as the prize amounts grow.
The 2022 rule changes that set the stage for 2027
Any discussion of 2027 changes must account for the structural reforms implemented on March 25, 2022, because those reforms created the framework within which all future expansion operates. Three changes were introduced simultaneously, and each one affects how new participating countries integrate into the system.
The first change was the addition of a Tuesday draw alongside the existing Friday draw, doubling the number of weekly opportunities to play and win. This effectively doubled the rate at which jackpots could grow during a rollover cycle, because two draws per week meant two rounds of ticket sales feeding the pool. For new countries joining in 2027, this means their players immediately participate in both draws, contributing to a faster-moving prize pool from day one.
The second change expanded the Euro number pool from 1-10 to 1-12, increasing the total number of possible combinations from approximately 95 million to 139,838,160. This made the jackpot harder to win — the odds shifted from 1 in 95,344,200 to 1 in 139,838,160 — and effectively extended the average length of rollover streaks. Longer streaks mean higher jackpots before a win occurs, which is exactly the dynamic that expansion amplifies: more players buying tickets for jackpots that grow larger and last longer.
The third change raised the jackpot cap from €90 million to €120 million. This 33% increase in the ceiling created headroom for larger top prizes, but it also meant that the overflow mechanism — which diverts excess funds to the second tier when the cap is reached — would trigger less frequently. The combined effect of harder odds, more draws, and a higher cap has been jackpots that grow larger but take longer to resolve.
The prize pool architecture: where the money goes
Understanding how Eurojackpot’s prize pool is constructed clarifies why expansion matters so much. Of every €2 spent on a single line, 50% goes to the prize pool, with the remaining 50% covering operational costs, retailer commissions, taxes, and contributions to good causes. The 50% prize pool is then divided among twelve prize tiers, with the largest allocation going to tier 1 — the jackpot. When the jackpot is not won, its allocation rolls over to the next draw, accumulating until someone matches all seven numbers or the cap is reached.
The twelve-tier structure ensures that even players who match minimal combinations — as few as two main numbers plus one Euro number — receive a payout. The overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 32, making Eurojackpot one of the more accessible major lotteries. Lower-tier prizes are fixed amounts that scale with the prize pool, meaning they increase when total stakes are higher — which is exactly what happens when new countries join and more tickets are sold per draw.
The practical implications of prize pool growth through expansion are significant for players at every tier.
- Tier I (jackpot) grows faster but is shared more often: with more players, the top prize escalates more quickly during rollovers, but the probability of multiple winners splitting the prize also increases. A €120 million jackpot split four ways pays €30 million per winner — still life-changing, but meaningfully different from a solo win.
- Tier II (5+1) becomes more valuable during cap events: when the €120 million cap is reached, excess funds flow into tier II. More players generating more excess means larger tier II payouts during these overflow draws, potentially reaching several million euros per winner.
- Tiers III through V scale proportionally: these mid-tier prizes are funded by percentage allocations from the prize pool. Larger pools from expansion mean larger individual prizes in these tiers, even for relatively common matches like four main numbers plus one Euro number.
- Lower tiers (VI through XII) remain relatively stable: the smallest prizes are largely fixed amounts that do not fluctuate dramatically with pool size, ensuring that casual players still receive meaningful payouts regardless of expansion.
- Claim deadline pressure increases: more players mean more winners per draw, and each winner faces a claim deadline that varies by country — from 90 days in some jurisdictions to three years in Germany. Expansion to new countries adds another set of deadlines that players must navigate.
The ripple effects through the tier system demonstrate that expansion is not a simple matter of “more money at the top.” Every tier is connected, and changes in one tier’s payout dynamics affect the overall attractiveness of the game. Players who focus on tier II — matching five numbers plus one Euro number, which is roughly ten times easier than hitting the jackpot — benefit disproportionately from expansion because overflow events produce larger tier II payouts.
How jackpot growth speed has changed over time
The empirical data from Eurojackpot’s history provides a clear picture of how expansion has affected the speed of jackpot growth. In the early years (2012-2013), with seven to thirteen countries participating, a typical rollover cycle from the €10 million minimum to the €90 million cap took approximately twelve to fifteen draws — six to eight weeks of rollovers. After Poland joined in 2017, bringing the total to seventeen countries, that cycle shortened to approximately eight to ten draws. After the 2022 changes (Tuesday draw added, Euro number range expanded, cap raised to €120 million), cycles typically run ten to fourteen draws — longer in absolute terms because the cap is higher, but growing at a faster rate per draw.
A €10 million starting jackpot in 2024-2026 typically grows by €4-8 million per draw during early rollovers, with growth accelerating as the jackpot rises and attracts more casual players. When the jackpot crosses €50 million, the per-draw increase often reaches €10-15 million, and as it approaches the €120 million cap, single-draw jumps of €20 million or more are not uncommon. The stake data confirms this: a typical Friday draw in 2026 generates approximately €35-42 million in total stakes, with Tuesday draws generating €25-32 million. Adding a new country like Romania could increase per-draw stakes by €2-4 million, shaving one or two draws off the typical rollover cycle.
Tax treatment across current and potential new participants
One of the most complex aspects of Eurojackpot expansion is the patchwork of tax rules across participating countries. Germany and Finland treat all lottery winnings as completely tax-free. Italy applies a 20% tax on winnings exceeding €500. Spain applies a 20% tax on winnings above €40,000. Other countries fall somewhere in between, with some treating prizes under certain thresholds as tax-free and taxing larger amounts. Any new country joining the consortium would bring its own tax framework, adding another variable that players must understand.
For German players — who represent the largest single block of Eurojackpot participants with approximately 99 jackpot wins out of roughly 200 total through 2026 — the tax situation is straightforward: win any amount, keep every euro. For players in Italy or Spain, significant portions of large winnings disappear to taxation before the money reaches their account. The introduction of a country with a more aggressive tax regime could create disparities where a €10 million jackpot is worth €10 million to a German winner and €8 million to a player from the new country — even though both bought identical tickets for identical draws.
The competitive landscape: Eurojackpot vs. EuroMillions in 2027
Eurojackpot and EuroMillions are the two transnational European lotteries that dominate the continent, and their trajectories are increasingly intertwined. EuroMillions operates in nine countries with a player pool of approximately 217 million people and a jackpot cap that has reached €250 million. Eurojackpot operates in nineteen countries with a combined population of approximately 300 million and a cap of €120 million. The two lotteries share one participant — Spain — where players can choose between both games.
EuroMillions is undergoing its own changes in autumn 2026, including a potential increase in ticket price to €3, an updated game matrix, and a new prize tier. These changes could push price-sensitive players toward Eurojackpot, which remains at €2 per line. If Eurojackpot simultaneously expands its country base in 2027, the competitive balance could shift significantly. More countries plus a lower ticket price plus a growing jackpot cap creates a compelling value proposition that EuroMillions — already more expensive and with harder odds at the top tier — may struggle to match.
The comparison is not purely about jackpot size. Eurojackpot offers better overall odds of winning any prize (1 in 32 versus 1 in 13 for EuroMillions), more participating countries (19 versus 9), and a lower ticket price (€2 versus €2.50, rising to €3). What EuroMillions offers is a larger maximum jackpot and occasional Superdraw events that guarantee elevated starting prizes. For 2027, the question is whether Eurojackpot’s expansion and potential prize pool enhancements close the gap enough to make it the preferred choice for the majority of European lottery players.
What players should watch as 2027 approaches
For anyone who plays Eurojackpot regularly — whether through a subscription, occasional ticket purchases, or syndicate participation — the changes coming in 2027 warrant attention. Expansion is not guaranteed on a specific date, but the trajectory is clear: more countries, more players, more money in the pool, and faster-growing jackpots. The strategic implications differ depending on how and why you play.
Players who chase large jackpots should watch for official announcements of new participating countries, because the first few draws after a new country joins often see a surge in ticket sales from curious new participants — temporarily inflating the prize pool beyond what the steady-state would produce. Players who focus on tier II payouts should monitor how frequently the €120 million cap is reached, because each cap event diverts money downward and creates the most lucrative non-jackpot opportunities in the game. And players who participate in syndicates — pooling money with others to buy multiple lines — should recalculate their expected value models if the player pool grows, because the probability of sharing a tier I prize across multiple winning tickets increases with every new country that joins.
The Eurojackpot of 2027 will not be fundamentally different from the game that launched in 2012 — five numbers from fifty, two Euro numbers from twelve, draws in Helsinki, twelve prize tiers. What will be different is the scale: more countries, more players, more money, and a prize pool that grows faster and reaches higher than ever before. The €120 million cap that once seemed distant is now a regular occurrence, and with each new participating nation, the distance shrinks further.