When you check the Étoile+ box on your Euromillions grid, you add €1 to your stake. This extra amount grants access to prize tiers reserved for stars, even without finding a single correct number. The mechanism seems simple, but its effects on your budget and probabilities deserve attention.
Euromillions Star: What the Extra Euro Changes
Without the Étoile+ option, a Euromillions grid costs €2.50. You choose five numbers and two stars, then hope to match as many as possible in the draw. The stars serve to differentiate the prize tiers, but they do not unlock anything on their own.
With Étoile+, the grid increases to €3.50. Two new tiers appear: 0 correct numbers + 1 star pays out about €2.50, and 0 correct numbers + 2 stars pays out about €10. The player can thus recover part of their stake without having found any of the five main numbers.
Have you noticed that most Euromillions grids end with no winnings? Étoile+ reduces this frequency: the probability of winning something increases from about 1 in 12 to about 1 in 4 with the option activated. This is a noticeable difference over the draws.
To understand how the Euromillions star works, it is important to remember one often misunderstood point: the option does not increase the probability of hitting the jackpot. The five numbers and two stars of tier 1 remain exactly as difficult to find, whether you checked Étoile+ or not.
Real Cost of Étoile+ for a Regular Player’s Budget
An extra euro per grid is negligible for a single draw. Over time, the calculation changes.
Let’s take a player who fills out two grids per week, or four combinations per week (Tuesday and Friday). The Étoile+ option costs them an additional €4 each week, which is a significant extra expense over a month or a year. The more combinations there are, the higher the bill: in multiple plays, each generated combination adds its own euro of extra cost.
Do the winnings recovered through the star tiers (about €2.50 for one star, about €10 for two) offset this expense? Statistically, the average return per euro wagered remains lower than the cost. Étoile+ does not turn a game of chance into a profitable operation.
When the Option Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t
- For an occasional player who only plays a grid from time to time, the extra cost remains modest, and the enjoyment of getting small winnings more frequently may justify the extra euro.
- For a regular player who multiplies combinations, the additional cost accumulates quickly without improving the jackpot probability, the only win that can change the financial game.
- For participants in group play systems, each grid with the option increases the collective stake, so it’s better for the group to decide together if the extra cost is acceptable.
Removal of Étoile+ in 2027: What Is Planned
The Étoile+ option is in its last months in its current form. The FDJ has confirmed its removal during the year 2027. A new option called “1st Chance” is set to take over, at an equivalent price of one euro.
The precise terms of this future option have not yet been published. It is unclear whether “1st Chance” will follow the same principle (winnings linked only to the stars) or offer a different mechanism. This uncertainty makes any anticipated comparison difficult.
If you play regularly with Étoile+, keep in mind that the rules described in this guide may become obsolete as of 2027. The transition to the new formula could change the prize tiers, the associated probabilities, or even the amount of the extra cost.
Étoile+ and Euromillions Probabilities: Reading the Numbers Correctly
The improvement in overall winning chances (from about 1 in 12 to 1 in 4) is impressive at first glance. Why doesn’t this apparent tripling really change the game?
Because the winnings added by Étoile+ are concentrated on the lower tiers. Winning €2.50 by matching a single star means recovering less than the price of the grid (€3.50). Matching two stars without any numbers pays about €10, which remains a modest win.
The intermediate tiers also benefit from a bonus when the option is activated. For example, two correct numbers associated with one or two correct stars see their winnings increased compared to a grid without Étoile+. However, these bonuses remain proportional to the tiers involved: they do not turn a small win into an exceptional sum.
The Trap of Frequent Small Wins
Winning more often creates a sense of profitability. A player who regularly recovers €2.50 feels that the option “works.” In reality, they are financing these micro-wins through their own extra cost. Étoile+ redistributes a fraction of the stake; it does not create additional value.
This mechanism is neither misleading nor illegitimate. It offers a different gaming experience, with more frequent returns. The distinction between gaming pleasure and financial profitability remains the most relevant criterion for deciding whether to check this box on your next Euromillions grid.
