Some 17 million euros and no one to get their hands on it. The lucky winner of the Euro Millions draw of March 20 had already taken a long time to make himself known, leaving doubts about the putting into play of the prize pool.
But this Côtes-d'Armor player finally came forward ... to learn that he could only touch his jackpot after the confinement linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
As reported by Ouest-France, this winner validated his grid in a Côtes-d'Armor business without it being known exactly in which city. But, perhaps because of the health crisis, it took a little time to get known.
"This episode is new"
When he finally realized his gain, the French games let him know that his bank account would not receive the sum immediately. The winner will have to wait for the end of confinement and a return to normal. "This episode is unprecedented for La Française des jeux, which tends to pay its winners quickly," the company said in a press release quoted by the regional daily.
These 17 million euros would be the biggest gain ever won in the Côtes-d'Armor department.
Lotteries are also suffering from the containment measures adopted in countries to combat the coronavirus. According to edition-gagnant.com. "The participation recorded this Tuesday, March 24 was below 10 million grids played, a lowest ever observed so far," notes the site.