Calvados winner for €162m jackpot

ONE winner in Calvados will cash in €162.2 million after winning the largest lottery jackpot in French history in the EuroMillions rollover draw.

They had marked the 9, 28, 30, 32 and 49 and chosen the star numbers 9 and 10 in the lucky September 13 draw which was the 13th draw as the jackpot had rolled over from 12 previous draws.

The winner has 60 days to get in touch with organisers Française des Jeux.

Once they have received their cheque – they can remain anonymous – the winner will be able to invest it and take the €18,000 a day it will bring in. However, they will also join the ranks of those liable to pay the Impôt de Solidarité sur la Fortune next year – a select band of 600,000 in France.

Although the win was a French record it falls a bit short of the €185m (£161m) won by the Weir family of Coatbridge, Scotland, this July. The previous largest French winner was €100m by a group of 15 friends from Venelle, Bouches-du-Rhone, two years ago.

EuroMillions is played in nine European countries and seven million French players were among the 40 million trying their hand to beat the odds of 116,531,800 to one of winning.

Since the EuroMillions started in 2004 261 tickets have won the big prize, which is a minimum of €15m. France has the most winners, with 65.