France Loto

What is France Loto?

France Loto is France’s most popular national lottery. The country of France has always been a culturally rich one with the first lottery being introduced as far back as 1936.

How did it originate?

The lottery was introduced in France in order to help with fundraising for the betterment of the country’s infrastructure and functioning. The France Loto, also known as ‘Loto Francaise’, was launched in 1976. Ever since then the lottery has been going strong with many players entering the weekly draws.

How big is it today?

France Loto today offers players the chance to change their lives with massive jackpots each week. The minimum jackpot amount is €2 million. If no player wins the jackpot, an extra €1 million will be added to the jackpot because of the rollover. Since the year 1976, France Loto has been going strong with millions of people in and outside of Europe entering the big weekly draws.

Who can play the France Loto?

Players must be of the legal gambling age, usually 18, in order to play the game. Players can buy tickets for this lottery over the counter, but only if they are in Europe. If they are outside of the EU, players will need to buy their tickets online through a lottery ticket concierge service. It is very easy and free of charge to sign up with one. All you need to do is select your payment option, deposit credits to get your tickets, and you’re on your way to becoming the next millionaire!

Remember to choose a very reputable site so that you don’t get conned 9out of money. Sites that have been around for the longest are usually the safest, so do your research before making any transactions online.

When can I play the France Loto?

Draws for the France Loto take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 8pm GMT. Players don’t necessarily have to get their tickets the day the draw takes place. They can also get their tickets in advance in the lead up to the draw to ensure they stand a chance of winning big and not missing out. In summary, players can purchase tickets for the draws at any time before the cut-off times. All tickets are purchased by agents in Paris and the draws take place there, too.

France Loto Prize Structure

France Loto has six prize tiers. The winnings are tax-free and transferred to the winner as one lump sum. The jackpot has a rollover cap of 34 times. If there are still no wins after that cap is reached, the prize money will roll down. The incredible thing about France Loto is that for special occasions, the jackpots can be larger than usual. These are known as “Superdraws” and they usually mark a holiday in the country of France. These special opportunities stimulate even more interest and make the jackpot climb higher due to a large number of ticket sales.

Match 5 main numbers and bonus – win an estimated 19.53% of prize fund

Match 5 main numbers – win an estimated 5.06% of prize fund

Match four main numbers – win an estimated 10.89% of prize fund

Match three main numbers – win an estimated 4.72% of prize fund

Match two main numbers – win an estimated 33.72% of prize fund

Match just one bonus number – win an estimated 18.87% of prize fund.

The Biggest Wins

The largest prize ever won to date by a single ticket holder was €30 million in May 2006. There were two lucky winners that split this jackpot amongst themselves. The second-biggest win was to the tune of €24 million in June 2011. That jackpot has rolled over an impressive 11 times. This happened to a single ticketholder, which means they got to take home the entire jackpot and didn’t have to share it with any other players.

Distribution of Revenue

  • €3.1 billion was distributed to the national community for the betterment of society.
  • A special environmental-awareness programme was created to assist WWF with its endeavours. They received €2.4 million upon completion of the project.
  • A portion was also donated towards promoting responsible gaming which includes the prevention of underage gambling.
  • An unknown portion also went towards the disabled so that they can enter a yachting race with the handisport skipper Damien Seguin in partnership with the French Paralympic Committee.

Here are a few of their key objectives for 2016:

They want to invest €100 million for digital improvements of their lottery worldwide. They want to attract 400,000 new players, and invest in innovation funds for start-ups with lots of potential.

How to play France Loto

The France Loto game employs the use of a “double matrix” structure. You need to choose five numbers from between 1 and 4. The bonus number you will have to choose from the range of 1 to 10. In order to win the top prize, which would be the jackpot, a ticket holder will need to match six main numbers drawn. If you don’t win the first prize tier, that doesn’t mean you walk away empty handed. You also have the chance to land in many other tiers that also guarantee you a lovely prize if you match the required numbers.

If the jackpot rolls 34 times and reaches its cap, the prize money will roll down to the other tiers, meaning the lower prize tiers will also yield you a massive prize sum.

Keep an eye out for France Loto scams

Lottery games have been around for centuries, and so too have lottery scammers, unfortunately. These con artists claim millions from all victims annually and cause a lot of distress and fear to many. But never fear, good news is coming your way. These lottery fraudsters aren’t very creative, so the scams haven’t changed much over the years, making the easy to spot and avoid.

Here are the top 5 ways in which lottery con artists will try to get you:

  1. Advance Fee Scam

This is probably the most common kind of lottery fraud you will come across. The email will inform you that you have won a sweepstake or lottery prize for something you have never even entered for. You are asked to pay a fee to cover the admin costs of processing your prize. They may even ask you to provide important financial information for you to “claim your winnings”, when actually they are trying to get into your account.

  1. Fake branding

They might have gone to the lengths of creating an email that looks like it has come from the lottery itself, informing you that you have won a prize even though you don’t even remember entering. They will go so far as to recreate the logos, the branding, and even the tone of communication to convince you. The main thing giving them away will be their spelling and grammar, though. Most lottery scammers do not have English as their primary language, and their grammar always gives them away.

  1. You’ve never heard of the lottery

This is another tactic employed to try and confuse you and doubt your own scepticism. They will mention that the lottery is sponsored by some well-known company. They are very good at circumventing any doubts you might have that you never even entered anything in the first place. They will convince you by saying your cell phone number, postcode, or email address was entered into the lottery and yours came out as the winner.

  1. Lottery Winner scams

You have to be very careful of these. These emails will come in the form of a high-profile winner donating a large portion of their winnings to you as charity. You never ever get something for nothing in this scenario. Never respond or engage with the email.

  1. Check in the post

This is an old one, but people still fall for it to this very day. “For a small processing fee” you will be sent your winning check in the mail. Good luck trying to cash it, it will be useless!

Scams are constantly evolving, but so should you in order to protect yourself. Always keep the following things in mind and you won’t get taken advantage of:

  • You cannot win a lottery you’ve never entered.
  • No genuine lottery will ever ask you for any money, no matter what it is for.
  • No legitimate lottery will ever ask you for sensitive information like banking details etc. via email.
  • Check for bad grammar, typos, etc.
  • If it’s all in caps then you know it’s a scam.

Have your wits about you online, and you’ll never be caught off guard or be taken for a ride! Play on a reputable site and you’ll be safe on your way to becoming a multimillionaire online.