EU: Camelot, the company that runs the British lottery, is to launch a pan-European lottery which, if successful, could see jackpots of £10 to £30 million (€14.6 to €43.8 million).
Players in Britain will get their chance to take part in the EuroMillions lottery when tickets go on sale tomorrow.
The French will be able to get a ticket the same day but Spaniards will have to wait until Monday. Ticket sales may be expanded into other European countries if domestic laws permit.
Players choose five numbers from a list of one to 50, then two numbers from one to nine from a Lucky Star panel on the play slip. It will initially cost £1.50 to play in the UK and €2 in France and Spain.
But the odds of winning are lower than ever, and players will have to get used to the fact that Europeans are just as likely to win as Britons.
Prof Ian Walker, a lottery expert and economist at the University of Warwick, said: "Although the odds are even longer, I think it will be a success because the market is so big. This means that it won't roll over too often."
Camelot has said the new game is designed to produce more rollovers, with jackpots expected to range up to £30 million. - (PA)