Many lottery players dream of a life without financial worries.

On average, a good seven million people in Germany hope to win big and regularly spend money on lotteries and the like.

This Wednesday some could get a little closer to their dream.

Because the jackpot of the lottery game 6 out of 49 contains 45 million euros, which will definitely be paid out - the highest possible profit.

Kerstin Papon

Editor in Business.

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The chance of typing six correct ones and the matching super number is still only 1 in 140 million.

However, if no player succeeds on that day and prize category 1 remains unoccupied again, the jackpot is paid out in the next occupied category - usually six correct numbers without a super number.

If nobody manages to type these numbers either, the millions go to the next lower prize category.

Then a player would only need five correct numbers plus a super number to hit the jackpot.

The chance of winning here is 1 in 542,000. In this case, however, the winnings for the individual player should melt away.

Prize class 3 is usually shared by dozens of lottery players.

Last Saturday there were 56 and on Wednesday a week ago 96.

Forced distribution rare

The current rule for the compulsory payout of the jackpot has only existed for around a year and a half and after a change in the winning plan on September 23, 2020. It was applied for the first time in the Wednesday drawing on December 2, 2020, when 45 million euros were allocated to three players in prize category 2: each 15 million euros went to North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. Previously, it was paid out if the jackpot was not cracked in twelve consecutive draws. He then had to be played in the 13th draw.

Forced distributions are rare. After around 60 years, the first took place on May 14, 2016. A player from North Rhine-Westphalia won around 37.1 million with six correct ones. The highest jackpot in history, 6 out of 49, was played on December 5, 2007: three players from Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia played the right numbers and shared 45.4 million euros.

The change in the lottery rules in autumn 2020 also involved an increase in the game fee from 1 to 1.20 euros per field.

The processing fee per note ranges from 20 cents to 1 euro, depending on the federal state.

Only 48 cents of each euro wagered are paid out as profits.

According to the providers, 20 cents are spent on culture, monument preservation, sport, social or environmental purposes, and 16 cents each are for the lottery tax and for personnel, material and advertising expenses plus commissions.

181 lottery millionaires

In 2021, 7.9 billion euros were spent on lotteries nationwide. On average, at least three people became millionaires every week, the German lottery and pool block and the 16 state lottery companies announced a few days ago. There were 181 in total. A total of 3.87 billion euros were paid out across all types of games. The most popular with a stake of 4 billion euros is the Lotto 6 out of 49.

As unlikely as it is to type the winning numbers correctly, the time until the odds are determined can be just as nerve-wracking if the worst comes to the worst. Because the winners are not always really lucky. On April 25, 1984, the main prize went to 69 tipsters, who received the equivalent of just 8,644 euros. On May 3, 2003, 117 players got six correct numbers and each won around 26,623 euros. Low numbers, which stand for birthdays, for example, or patterns in the playing field often indicate low odds. The first lottery ball was drawn on October 9, 1955 in Hamburg: It was number 13. However, it remained rare over the years and was only drawn 501 times in total. The 45 was similarly rare with 502 times. Even if the probability of all winning numbers is equally distributed, at least in the long run,the differences in the draws are big. So far, the 6 has been the most common (624 times).

When the lottery balls, which are actually nothing more than printed and varnished table tennis balls, are drawn this Wednesday, millions of players will be able to hope for luck again.

If, contrary to expectations, it doesn't happen, around 47 million euros await jackpot hunters on Friday for five plus two correct numbers in the Eurojackpot - with a stake of 2 euros per field and low winnings in the lower classes.

Here the maximum prize can even grow to 90 million euros and from March onwards to the tenth anniversary of this European lottery in 18 countries to 120 million euros and a second draw on Tuesday.

Because it is a lucrative business for the companies and the state.