EuroMillions results LIVE: Friday's winning numbers for March 18 £45m jackpot draw
EUROMILLIONS is due to take place tonight, with a staggering £45million jackpot up for grabs. Express.co.uk will keep you updated on results - and here's more on how you can get involved.
Tonight’s EuroMillions draw gives people across Europe the chance to take home £45million if they secure the jackpot, as well as additional opportunities to win smaller sums from the pot. The draw takes place every Tuesday and Friday and results are announced at approximately 8:45pm GMT.
First launched on February 7, 2004, by France's Française des Jeux, Spain's Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, and the United Kingdom's Camelot, the transnational lottery has been drawn 1,512 times so far.
Nine European countries take part every week, including the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.
The draw closes at 7:30pm GMT, so to be in with a chance of winning, you need to buy your ticket before then.
How to play EuroMillions
To play, you must choose five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two lucky stars from 1 to 12.
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You can then decide how many lines you want to buy, and the rate is currently £2.50 per line. The more lines you buy, the higher your chances of winning.
Tonight, there is a jackpot of £45m to be won. In order to win the jackpot, one of your lines must match all five numbers and both lucky stars.
However, it’s not the end if your luck runs dry for the jackpot. There’s ample opportunity to win smaller prizes.
There are 13 ways to win in the main draw, with larger prizes awarded for successfully matching more numbers. The overall odds of receiving any prize are one in 13.
If you match fewer numbers, you can still take home pretty impressive sums.
With every ticket, you'll also be entered into the Millionaire Maker draw, which will turn the lucky ticket holder into a millionaire if their raffle code is picked.
You can buy tickets online or in an authorised store - there will be a sign outside promoting the lottery.
Tonight's EuroMillions results
Tonight's National Lottery EuroMillions winning numbers are: 01, 09, 14, 17, 43. The Lucky Stars are: 06, 12.
Millionaire Maker Selection - one UK millionaire has been created: MQBK70289.
Tonight's National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 05, 15, 16, 30, 35. The Thunderball is 07.
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How to improve your odds of winning EuroMillions
With millions taking part across nine European countries, odds of winning are naturally quite slim, although there are certain ways you can increase your chances.
Joining a syndicate is one option, which means joining a group of players purchasing tickets.
If one person wins, you split the money. This option allows you to enter multiple lines into the draw without increasing the cost of playing.
Having a share of multiple lines, as opposed to just one singular, will improve your chances of winning.
EuroMillions also suggests playing with random numbers greater than 31.
Most players use significant dates to select numbers, which limits their choice to 31 and under.
The odds of a random set of numbers being drawn are the same as the odds of a familiar pattern being drawn, but the prize amounts are partly determined by how many players win.
So by swimming against the tide and choosing a mix of small and large numbers, you’re more likely to choose numbers that haven’t been picked by anyone else.
