Here are the luckiest Lotto counties in Ireland for 2018

Thu, 27 Dec, 2018 - 10:27

Steve Neville

The National Lottery has created 23 new millionaires in 2018, according to new numbers revealed today.

More than €436m in prizes was won by lotto players over the past 12 months, which translates as being more than 57c in every euro spent on National Lottery games going back to players.

According to analysis from Lotto HQ, Dublin was the country's luckiest county in 2018 with almost €30m paid out to players with 49 top tier wins in EuroMillions, Lotto, Daily Millions and Telly Bingo.

The second luckiest county was Co Tipperary which saw players scoop a total of €19,537,541 in ten big wins, while Cork emerged as the third luckiest county with more than €19.1 million won in 19 top tier wins.

The biggest prize paid out in 2018 was the €17m EuroMillions jackpot won by a lucky syndicate in Tipperary last June.

Ger Sammon, who organised the syndicate, said at the time that it was an "unbelievable feeling. You don't believe it for a second".

Members of Stakelum’s Hardware syndicate from Thurles, Co Tipperary claim their €17m EuroMillions Jackpot at Lottery HQ. Picture: The National Lottery/Twitter

Dermot Griffin, Chief Executive of the National Lottery, said: "2018 has been an incredible year for our players who won a total of €436.6 million in prizes across all of our games.

It has been a record year for prize pay-outs with 57c in every €1 spent on National Lottery games being returned directly to the players in prizes.

So far this year, we have made 23 brand new millionaires in Ireland, it has been great meeting so many of these big winners, and witnessing them enjoy the start of their life-changing wins.

He added: "We look forward to creating yet another millionaire through our Christmas Millionaire Raffle which takes place on New Year’s Eve."

National Lottery stats for 2018 (figures released by the National Lottery):

Total won on National Lottery prizes in 2018 is over €436.6m

Total prize money paid on scratch cards this year is over €161.6 million

There was one winner of the EuroMillions jackpot in 2018, bringing to 13 the number of winners in Ireland since EuroMillions launched in 2004.

There were 28 winners of the EuroMillions Plus top prize of €500,000 in Ireland.

There were 13 Lotto jackpot winners so far sharing €67.7 million in jackpot prizes.

[/factbox]

Ireland’s top five luckiest National Lottery counties in 2018:

[table][row][column]County[/column][column]Total Top Tier Wins in Draw based games (EuroMillions, Lotto, Daily Millions, Telly Bingo)[/column][column]Total amount won [/column][/row][row][column]Dublin[/column][column]49[/column][column]€29,902,831 [/column][/row][row][column]Tipperary[/column][column]10[/column][column]€19,537,541 [/column][/row][row][column]Cork[/column][column]19[/column][column]€19,100,867 [/column][/row][row][column]Galway[/column][column]13[/column][column]€15,646,192 [/column][/row][row][column]Limerick[/column][column]10[/column][column]€8,740,367 [/column][/row][/table]