Special EuroMillions Draw on Friday as Airport Travellers Urged to Check Tickets
One lucky EuroMillions player in Ireland is guaranteed to become a millionaire on Friday 6th July after it was announced that a special edition of the Ireland Only Raffle will take place. National Lottery officials have also urged holidaymakers to check their luggage after a ticket bought at Dublin Airport won a prize worth almost €45,000 in Tuesday’s draw.
How the Ireland Only Raffle Works
If you buy a EuroMillions ticket in Ireland, you are automatically entered into the Ireland Only Raffle at no extra cost. You will be given a unique raffle code for each line of numbers you play. Ten winning codes are then selected at random alongside each EuroMillions draw, and each winner receives €5,000.
Special draws also take place from time to time throughout the year, to award one of the winners an additional €1 million. All ten winners are entered into a separate draw and one is selected at random to receive the seven-figure prize. The other nine players still win €5,000 each.
The most recent special draw took place on Friday 1st June, while a pensioner from Dublin picked up €1,005,000 on Friday 16th March in a draw held to mark St. Patrick’s Day. He decided to remain anonymous but did reveal that he planned to use the money to buy a second home in the Caribbean and spend half the year away from the cold Irish weather.
More Good Fortune at Dublin Airport
While the St Patrick’s Day winner plans to do his travelling in the winter, the holiday season is well and truly underway at the moment and one lucky visitor to Dublin Airport this week landed a sensational prize of €44,998. They matched all five EuroMillions numbers - 1, 12, 15, 29 and 48 - on Tuesday night, but missed out on the Lucky Stars 3 and 5.
All Irish National Lottery winners have 90 days to come forward and collect prizes, but officials have been quick to issue a reminder to everyone who bought a ticket to rummage through their suitcases. A spokeswoman said: “What a perfect start to the holidays! The WH Smith shop at Terminal 1 is fast becoming one of our lucky lottery stores with holidaymakers hoping to scoop a top prize before they jet off.”
Dermot Griffin, the National Lottery’s chief executive, also called on players to check their tickets abroad. He said: “We are at the height of holiday season so it’s incredibly likely that the winning ticket holder is currently lying on a beach somewhere and may be unaware that they have a lottery ticket worth almost €45,000 in their suitcase!”
Dublin Airport previously sold an Irish Lotto ticket worth €5.4 million on Saturday 23rd December 2017, and players are sure to flock to the stores again before this weekend’s big draws in an attempt to snap up more great prizes. The EuroMillions jackpot is up to €55 million on Friday night, and you can also take part online for your chance to win. Good luck!
6th July 2018
