£143 million EuroMillions jackpot up for grabs Friday as draw nears 1,900th milestone

The next EuroMillions draw Brussels will offer a staggering £143 million jackpot — the largest prize on offer in over a month — with ticket sales closing at 7:30 PM GMT on Friday, November 28, 2025. This isn’t just another Friday night draw. It’s the 1,900th EuroMillions draw since the lottery launched in 2004, and the fifth time this November that the jackpot has cracked £130 million. For millions of players across nine European nations, it’s the kind of moment that stops conversations, sparks dreams, and sends queues snaking through petrol stations and newsagents. The current jackpot of €178 million (£143 million) is the direct result of a five-week rollover, fueled by no one matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars since November 11. And if no one wins? It rolls again — potentially pushing past the £195 million record set in 2022.

The Numbers Behind the Dream

The last winning combination, drawn on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 (Draw 1897), was 06, 11, 17, 35, 44 with Lucky Stars 03 and 07. The prize pool had already climbed to £142,321,587 — just shy of this week’s total — and still went unclaimed. That’s not an anomaly. Since early November, the jackpot has climbed steadily: £95.5 million on November 11, then £108.3 million on the 14th, £131.5 million on the 21st, and now £143 million. Each increase is a quiet testament to how many people keep playing — and how few are getting lucky.

The odds? A brutal 1 in 139,838,160. For context, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning twice in your life than win this jackpot. But people still line up. In the UK alone, over 45,000 retail outlets — from corner shops in Aberdeen to newsagents in Brighton — sell tickets at £2.50 per line. The Camelot Group, which has operated the UK National Lottery since 1994 under license from the Gambling Commission, confirms sales are running 18% higher than the same period last year. Online purchases through the National Lottery website and app close at 7:30 PM GMT, the same as physical terminals. Some stores shut earlier — 7:15 PM — to process final sales, so don’t wait until the last minute.

Who’s Playing — And Why It Matters

Behind every ticket is a story. A single mother in Manchester buying two lines with her lunch money. A retired couple in Cardiff who’ve played the same numbers since 2010. A group of friends in Belfast pooling £5 every Friday for a shared dream. The United Kingdom consistently produces the biggest winners in EuroMillions history — including the record £195 million prize in July 2022. That’s not luck alone. It’s participation. The UK accounts for nearly a third of all ticket sales across the nine participating countries: France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UK.

And then there’s the UK Millionaire Maker. For British players only, each ticket comes with a unique alphanumeric code — like JWGH 03530 from the last draw — that guarantees one £1 million winner every Friday. On November 14, 2025, the code ZSCT 91277 paid out. That’s not a bonus. It’s a second chance. And it’s why so many British players say they play for the millionaire code as much as the jackpot.

How the Draw Works — And What’s at Stake

The draw happens at 9:00 PM CET (8:00 PM GMT) using Draw Machine 13 and Ball Set 21, both verified by independent auditors and publicly documented in past draw reports. Numbers are drawn from two separate drums: five main balls from 1 to 50, and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. The entire process is livestreamed by the EuroMillions operators and broadcast live across Europe. There’s no manipulation. No hidden algorithms. Just physics, probability, and pure chance.

But here’s the twist: the longer the jackpot rolls, the more it attracts media attention — and more players. That creates a feedback loop. More tickets sold = higher prize pool = more excitement = even more tickets. The current jackpot is the fifth-largest in November 2025, but it’s also the most anticipated. Why? Because it’s the 1,900th draw. A milestone. A moment. And for some, a once-in-a-lifetime shot.

What Happens If You Win — And What You Can’t Ignore

Winning doesn’t mean instant freedom. You have 180 days to claim your prize — that’s six months — from the draw date, as mandated by the Gambling Commission. After that, the money goes to National Lottery good causes. Winners can remain anonymous in the UK, but must work with Camelot’s claims team. There’s no tax on winnings in the UK, but if you move abroad, your new country might levy one. And while the press will want your story, most winners choose silence. The most successful ones, lottery psychologists say, hire financial advisors before telling anyone.

What’s Next?

If no one wins on Friday, the jackpot rolls again — likely pushing past £150 million by Tuesday, December 2. That would be the biggest prize of the year. And if it rolls again after that? We could be heading for a £200 million draw before Christmas. The EuroMillions Multi-Ministerial Commission in Brussels has no cap on rollovers, and with ticket sales surging, the ceiling might as well be the sky.

One thing’s certain: Friday night won’t be like any other. People will be checking their tickets with trembling hands. Strangers will be texting each other: "Did you get 06?" And somewhere, someone will be holding a slip that could change everything.