EuroMillions From New Zealand: Can Kiwis Enter and How It Works

If you have seen headlines about a €250 million EuroMillions jackpot and wondered whether you can buy a ticket from New Zealand, the short answer is that you cannot do it through any official New Zealand channel. EuroMillions is a European game, and Lotto NZ sells only its own domestic products. This guide explains how EuroMillions actually works, the two ways people outside Europe reach it, what New Zealand law says, and the risks worth weighing before you go looking.

Can you buy EuroMillions in New Zealand?

No. The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, which trades as Lotto NZ, runs only its own games — Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno, Bullseye and Instant Kiwi. Its MyLotto website and app are the only licensed way to play any lottery online in New Zealand, and none of those products is EuroMillions.

EuroMillions itself is sold only inside its nine participating European countries, either in person or through those countries’ own official lottery sites, which are generally set up to serve local residents. There is no retail counter in New Zealand that sells it and no New Zealand-licensed website that offers it. Anyone outside Europe who wants to take part has to use a third-party service that operates from overseas, which is covered further down.

How EuroMillions works

EuroMillions is a transnational lottery drawn in Paris. To enter a single line you choose five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two "Lucky Stars" from a separate pool of 1 to 12. Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday at 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT). A single line costs £2.50 in the United Kingdom, with equivalent prices charged in local currency in the other countries.

The jackpot and the €250 million cap

The jackpot starts at €17 million (around £15 million) and rolls over whenever no one matches all seven numbers. It can keep growing until it reaches a fixed ceiling of €250 million, the largest prize the game allows. Once it hits that cap it can stay there for a maximum of four more draws without increasing. If it is still not won on the fifth draw at the cap, the whole amount rolls down and is shared among the winners in the next prize tier, after which the jackpot resets to €17 million. That mechanism is similar in spirit to the "Must Be Won" draws New Zealand players will recognise from local Powerball.

Prizes, odds and tax

EuroMillions has 13 prize tiers in all. You win something by matching as few as two main numbers, and the odds of taking any prize are about 1 in 13. The jackpot is far harder: the odds of matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars are 1 in 139,838,160. For comparison, you can read how the odds of winning Lotto in NZ stack up against a game on this scale.

On tax, EuroMillions prizes are paid as tax-free lump sums in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while Spain, Portugal and Switzerland apply tax above certain thresholds. New Zealand does not tax Lotto winnings either, but if you reach EuroMillions through an overseas operator the money passes through that operator’s terms and a currency conversion first, which is a separate matter from how the game is taxed at source.

The two ways people outside Europe reach EuroMillions

Because no official EuroMillions ticket is sold in New Zealand, every offshore route falls into one of two models, and the difference between them matters a great deal if you ever win.

• Lottery concierge or courier services. The company buys a genuine EuroMillions ticket on your behalf in a participating country and holds or scans it for you. You own the underlying ticket, and a win is paid by the national lottery through the service. These firms are licensed overseas — often in places such as Malta or Gibraltar — and not by any New Zealand authority. They usually add a fee or mark-up on top of the ticket price.
• Lottery betting sites. Here you never hold a EuroMillions ticket at all. You place a bet on the outcome of the draw with a bookmaker, who pays you if your chosen numbers come up, from its own funds or an insurance policy. Legally and practically this is a wager with a betting company, not entry into the lottery, so any payout depends on that company remaining solvent and honouring its limits.

Neither model is a Lotto NZ product, and neither carries New Zealand oversight. The same distinction applies to other overseas draws — it is the same picture you face when looking at how to play US Powerball from New Zealand.

Is it legal to play EuroMillions from New Zealand?

For the individual player, taking part through an overseas-based site is not, in itself, against New Zealand law. The Department of Internal Affairs, which regulates gambling here, explains that section 9 of the Gambling Act 2003 prohibits remote interactive gambling conducted in New Zealand, so only authorised operators such as Lotto NZ and the TAB may offer online products from inside the country.

The same guidance is clear that gambling conducted overseas is not prohibited, apart from betting on racing and sporting events, which only TAB NZ may offer. In practice the Department states it is not illegal for someone in New Zealand to gamble over the internet when the website is based overseas. Separately, the Act makes it an offence to advertise overseas gambling within New Zealand, but that restriction targets operators and advertisers rather than the person placing an entry. This article is informational only and is not legal advice.

Risks to weigh before using an overseas site

Legal does not mean protected. Because these services sit outside New Zealand’s licensing system, the safeguards you would expect from a local operator do not apply.

• No New Zealand consumer protection. Lotto NZ is supervised by the Department of Internal Affairs; an offshore concierge or betting site is not. If something goes wrong, your recourse depends on the laws of the country where the operator is based, which can be difficult and expensive to pursue from here.
• Fraud and verification risk. The Department warns that handing your personal and financial details to an overseas site can expose you to fraud, and advises that if you are unsure of a site’s legality and the protections it offers, you should not use it.
• Currency and transfer friction. Prizes are paid in euros or pounds, so you face conversion costs, and large cross-border transfers can trigger banking checks and delays.
• Proof of what you hold. With a concierge service you are relying on the company to actually buy and safeguard a real ticket in your name; with a betting site you hold only a wager, and payouts can be capped well below a headline jackpot.

Official options in New Zealand

If the appeal is a big, regularly drawn jackpot rather than EuroMillions specifically, the licensed and locally protected route is Lotto NZ’s own games. NZ Powerball adds a large top prize on top of the main Lotto draw, prizes are paid tax-free, and any dispute is handled under New Zealand law. If you are weighing other overseas draws as well, it is worth reading about whether you can play Oz Lotto in NZ, which sits in exactly the same legal grey zone as EuroMillions. The jackpots are smaller than EuroMillions at its cap, but you are buying from a regulated operator with no offshore middleman.

Responsible gambling and disclaimer

This article is for general information only. It does not encourage gambling or the purchase of any lottery ticket, and it is not legal, financial or tax advice. Lottery games are a form of entertainment with a very high chance of losing your stake, not a way to make money. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, free, confidential help is available in New Zealand from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655, any time of day or night. You can also read more about staying in control through our responsible gambling tools.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a EuroMillions ticket through Lotto NZ or MyLotto?

No. Lotto NZ and MyLotto sell only New Zealand games — Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno, Bullseye and Instant Kiwi. EuroMillions is not available through any licensed New Zealand channel.

Is it illegal to play EuroMillions from New Zealand?

For the individual player, no. The Department of Internal Affairs states that gambling on an overseas-based website is not prohibited for people in New Zealand, with the exception of racing and sports betting. What is restricted is operating or advertising unlicensed online gambling inside the country. This is not legal advice.

Which countries can officially play EuroMillions?

EuroMillions is run jointly by the national lotteries of nine countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Official tickets are sold in those markets.

Are EuroMillions winnings taxed?

Prizes are paid tax-free in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while Spain, Portugal and Switzerland apply tax above set thresholds. If you reach the game through an overseas operator, that operator’s terms and a currency conversion apply before any money reaches you.

What is the difference between a lottery concierge and a lottery betting site?

A concierge or courier service buys a genuine EuroMillions ticket on your behalf, so you own the real ticket and a national lottery pays any win. A lottery betting site takes a wager on the draw outcome; you never own a ticket, and the operator pays from its own funds if your numbers match.

What are the odds of winning the EuroMillions jackpot?

The odds of matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars are 1 in 139,838,160. The odds of winning any prize, down to matching just two numbers, are about 1 in 13.