New Lotto jackpot: €1,500,000 minimum
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18 Jul 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
The Lotto’s starting jackpot is temporarily rising to €1,500,000 until December 31, 2026.
The change to the minimum Lotto jackpot, announced at the end of May, is finally reflected on Belgian players’ tickets. Until December 31, 2026, each new Lotto cycle will no longer start with the traditional one million euros, but with a guaranteed prize pool of 1.5 million euros. Although the measure officially took effect on July 1, it remained on hold pending the win of the active jackpot, which had started its run before the summer.
9.5 million won, a new cycle begins
On Wednesday, July 15, a player matched all six correct numbers and won 9.5 million euros, resetting the counters to zero. For the draw on Saturday, July 18, the National Lottery is now displaying a starting jackpot of €1,500,000, marking the first actual application of this temporary increase.
A €6,000,000 prize never claimed in Blankenberge
The origin of this boosted jackpot dates back to the special Extra Lotto draw on December 31, 2025. A ticket validated in West Flanders matched the perfect combination (5, 7, 13, 19, 29, 39, and the bonus number 15) to pocket the sum of 6 million euros alone. The purchase had been recorded the day before at a retail outlet in Blankenberge.
Despite repeated press releases from the National Lottery, which even shared the first digits of the serial number to catch the public’s attention, the mysterious winner never came forward to the regulatory authorities.
The legal deadline of twenty weeks has expired
Belgian legislation requires winners of draw games to claim their prizes within a strict twenty-week deadline. For the anonymous lucky winner from Blankenberge, the deadline was set for Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at midnight.
The National Lottery’s regulations state that once this milestone is passed, the unclaimed money becomes the exclusive property of the organization. Without the precious physical receipt, which is essential to validate the transaction, no recourse is possible, even in the event of loss or accidental destruction of the paper.
The technical mechanism of the temporary jackpot
This increase affects only the initial amount of a series of draws. Usually, as soon as a player wins rank 1, the following draw drops back to its floor of €1,000,000. From now on and until the end of the year, the National Lottery will inject an additional €500,000 at each reset.
The classic rollover system remains unchanged. If no player finds the six correct numbers, the jackpot increases by €500,000 per consecutive draw, according to the standard rules.
The theoretical progression of a series without a winner follows this structure:
- Initial draw: €1,500,000
- First rollover: €2,000,000
- Second rollover: €2,500,000
- Third rollover: €3,000,000
If several tickets turn out to be winners in the same draw, the total amount of the top rank is shared equally among the beneficiaries.
Gradual redistribution
The National Lottery is using this process to inject the forgotten 6 million euros directly back into the Belgian playing community. Rather than offering a single draw with a massive super-jackpot, the operator preferred a smooth rollout across the entire second half of 2026.
The total volume of redistributed money will depend directly on the frequency of wins between now and December. The faster the jackpots are won, the more often the €1.5 million restart phases will repeat. It is worth noting that this operation does not result in any modification to the price of a grid, which remains fixed at 1.50 euros.
Mathematical probabilities unchanged and responsible gaming
While the visual appeal of an enhanced prize pool is undeniable, statistical realities remain strict. To win the top rank, you still need to match the 6 correct numbers out of the 45 present in the drum. This half-million increase affects the potential winnings but does not change the mathematical probabilities of winning, which still stand at 1 chance in 8,145,060.
Moreover, the National Lottery’s responsible gaming policy reminds players that a higher amount should not influence wagering habits. Chance dictates each draw independently, with no correlation to the value of the sums at stake. The return to the regulatory floor of €1,000,000 is scheduled for January 1, 2027.