They say that those who don’t play don’t win, and this can definitely be confirmed by the lucky ones who have been paid out pretty big winnings. Find out what the historically highest winnings are in our country and in the world, and in which lottery they were won.
Highest lottery win
The historically highest lottery win to date was truly astronomical and exceeded forty billion CZK
Lottery games are a popular form of entertainment for many players and at the same time a relatively easy way to win a large amount of money. However, the word “relatively” plays an important role here, because not everyone wins the lottery—and certainly not amounts exceeding one million crowns. The biggest win ever made in the Czech Republic and worldwide was far higher. Take a look at how much the lucky winners got richer and how they managed to win such an amount.
Overview of popular lotteries
The highest historical win in the Czech Republic
Players can place their lottery ticket bets almost nonstop and wait for the winning numbers to be drawn. Draws usually take place at a specific time or times of the day, or in some cases, every few minutes. Most lotteries offer more than one prize tier, giving players a chance to win additional rewards besides the jackpot, although the prize amount decreases with fewer matched numbers. To hit the maximum win, the player must match all drawn numbers—just like the lucky winner who bet on the Eurojackpot.
When was the highest win in the Czech Republic?
The highest win to date was paid out in 2015. On May 15, 2015, one player correctly guessed all seven numbers drawn in the Eurojackpot lottery, winning the jackpot in an astronomical amount. The probability of doing so was just 1 in 95,344,200, but he likely turned luck in his favor and became one of the richest Czechs virtually overnight.
What was the highest lottery win in the Czech Republic?
By selecting the numbers 12, 14, 18, 38, and 46, plus bonus numbers 9 and 10, this winner won an incredible €98,640,000. This amount placed him at the top of the rankings for the largest lottery win in Czech history. His life could have changed overnight, but it took him another 26 days to collect his prize from Sazka’s headquarters after living in the Pardubice region.
How the biggest lottery win was paid out
Even though the media showed enormous interest in the person who won such a huge sum, the winner managed to remain anonymous. Part of the prize was paid in cash as an advance, which he took with him in a backpack, and the rest was transferred to a designated bank account within 60 days. Other than the staff at the tax office, where the winner had to report the prize, and the Sazka employees, his identity remains unknown to the public to this day.
The highest lottery win in the world
Lotteries are very popular worldwide, as evidenced by the number of games and the many passionate players who regularly submit tickets with hopes of becoming top-tier prize winners with the highest promised jackpots. While it doesn’t happen often, every now and then someone hits the right numbers. The payout method can even determine how much the prize is actually worth, as in the case of the largest lottery win ever recorded globally.
How big was the world’s highest lottery win?
The world’s highest lottery win far exceeds the biggest prize paid out in the Czech Republic. The amount won by American player Edwin Castro in 2022 reached $2.04 billion, which equals approximately €1,820,000,000. He defied the odds—just 1 in 292,200,000—and still made it happen.
Edwin Castro did not become a billionaire
Even though this lucky player had the chance to become a dollar billionaire, that technically never happened. The company operating the Powerball (the lottery Edwin won) offered two payout options. In the first, he would receive the full amount divided into several installments; in the second, a one-time payment of $997.6 million. Since Edwin likely couldn’t wait for his money, he chose the second option and lost more than half of the prize. Still, he now lives an above-average life, as shown by the luxury villa he bought for over €40,000,000. Had he waited and opted for installments, his wealth could have been even greater.
List of licensed online lottery operators (MF license)
 | Sazka | Free €15 for lottery upon registration | Claim BONUS |
 | Korunka | Free €15 for completing registration | Claim BONUS |
 | Fortuna | Free €15 for completing registration | Claim BONUS |
 | Tipsport | Free €15 for completing registration | Claim BONUS |
 | Chance | Free €15 for completing registration | Claim BONUS |
 | Casino Kartáč | Free €20 + 100 FS for completing registration | Claim BONUS |
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