British couple claim record 190 mn euro lottery jackpot

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A British couple have claimed a record 190-million-euro (£149 million, $235 million) prize in the EuroMillions lottery, officials announced on Monday.

Britain's National Lottery said the couple were from Suffolk in southeast England.

They are expected to reveal their identities on Tuesday and set out their plans for the future.

Their jackpot beats that won by Scottish couple Colin and Chris Weir, who became Europe's biggest ever lottery winners in July last year when they scooped 185 million euros.

But the current euro conversion rate means the prize is worth less in pounds than the £161 million won by the Weirs.

"A couple from Haverhill, Suffolk, have won the UK's second biggest ever lottery prize," a National Lottery spokesman said.

"They were the only (jackpot) winners in Friday's EuroMillions draw and have banked an amazing £148,656,000."

The couple had a one in 116,531,800 chance of holding the lucky numbers.

Across Europe, 14 tickets selected six correct numbers, and will win more than 2,641,000 euros each.

The EuroMillions lottery, launched in 2004, is now played by nine countries across western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Five of the top ten jackpots in the history of EuroMillions have been British. More British players tend to take part when the jackpot is particularly large.