Millionaire goes out for the first time and pays R$ 249 million, the second largest prize in history

A bet from Manaus (AM) hit the six numbers and the two clovers of contest 166 of +Milionária and took the prize of R$ 249,094,227.14. The draw was held on Wednesday night (24), in São Paulo. It is the first time in more than two years that someone has taken the jackpot from the first prize tier.

The probability of winning in +Milionária is just a bit higher than in Powerball, the North American lottery considered one of the hardest in the world and which draws billion-dollar prizes.

The difficulty of taking the jackpot is explained by the probability calculations released by Caixa Econômica Federal, responsible for the lottery. See below:

Each simple bet of +Milionária has 1 chance in 238.3 million to hit the six numbers and two clovers, among 50 numbers and six clovers;

Each simple bet of Mega-Sena has a chance of 1 in 50 million to hit the six drawn numbers, among 60 numbers;

This means it is almost five times harder to win in +Milionária than in Mega-Sena.

In the US contest, the chance of winning the jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.

In Powerball, bettors need to choose five numbers from 1 to 69, represented by white balls, plus one more number from 1 to 26, represented by a red ball. A ticket costs, on average, US$ 2 (R$ 10).

In a note sent to g1, Caixa stated that +Milionária is inspired by Powerball and other international experiences, such as Megamillion (USA), EuroMillions, Euromilhões, and Eurojackpot, in Europe.

The institution also informed that almost half of the collected amount is destined for social transfers and that, when Brazilians place their bets, they "contribute to essential areas for the development of the country, such as sports, education, culture, security, and social security".

About +Milionária

The chances of winning in the lottery are even smaller than in the traditional Mega-Sena: to take the maximum prize, it is necessary to hit six numbers and two “clovers”.

The value of a simple bet is R$ 6. With it, the bettor can choose 6 numbers from 50 available and more 2 clovers, among the six available.

For multiple bets, it is possible to choose from six to 12 numbers and from two to six clovers, with prices reaching R$ 83.1 thousand.

+Milionária had its first draw in May 2022. At the time, Caixa reported that it was the first modality "to offer a minimum prize of two-digit millions". Each contest distributes a minimum value of R$ 10 million.

Moreover, +Milionária stands out for having ten prize tiers. They are:

6 hits + 2 clovers

6 hits + 1 or no clover

5 hits + 2 clovers

5 hits + 1 or no clover

4 hits + 2 clovers

4 hits + 1 or no clover

3 hits + 2 clovers

3 hits + 1 clover

2 hits + 2 clovers

2 hits + 1 clover

Largest prizes

According to data from Caixa Econômica Federal, the largest prize ever paid by +Milionária was R$ 578,580.90, in the contest of January 27, 2024. On that occasion, the winning bet hit five numbers and two clovers and was placed in the third prize tier.

The second largest amount paid was R$ 557,732.73, in the contest of February 7, 2024. The winner also fell into the third tier, with five numbers and two correct clovers.

The numbers also show that, among the 10 largest sums ever paid by the lottery, most refer to contests held at the beginning of 2024. Draws from October, November, and December of 2023 also make the list: