The biggest shared lottery wins in history
From 90 syndicate shares in Italy to 52 winning tickets in one Mega da Virada, some of the largest prizes ended up split.
Not every record jackpot makes one billionaire. Some of history's largest prizes have gone to groups of coworkers, friends, neighborhood associations or people who bought shares without knowing one another. Here are the most memorable examples.
Italy: €371 million shared across 90 stakes
Europe's largest lottery jackpot, from SuperEnalotto in February 2023, came from a system ticket divided into 90 €5 stakes, sold at outlets across Italy. Each stake returned about €4 million before taxes.
Brazil: 52 winners in a single night
At the 2018 Mega da Virada, 52 winning tickets matched all six numbers and split R$302.5 million. This remains the draw's record number of jackpot winners. In 2017, 17 tickets shared R$306.7 million.
France: five friends split €250 million
In 2025, five friends from the Paris area played together for the first time and won EuroMillions' top prize. Each received €50 million, making it the largest prize ever awarded in France.
Spain: an entire town wins
In the 2025 El Gordo, the town of La Bañeza in León sold 117 series of the winning number, worth €468 million. Much of it was distributed through local associations, including football clubs that resell ticket fractions to their members. This is why El Gordo can reward entire neighborhoods and towns at once.
A single Spanish town received €468 million in prizes in the 2025 El Gordo.
How to handle informal lottery pools
When a prize goes to a group, disputes often arise over proving who participated. In Brazil, Caixa offers officially registered pools with an individual receipt for each participant. For informal groups, operators recommend recording in writing who paid for each share and keeping proof of payment.