Capital excluded
But who is against the Française des Jeux? The national lottery, recently taken to court over a dispute over an inheritance, is facing a new case, this time calling into question the integrity of its draws. The complainant, a regular Euromillions player, noted an irregularity in the allocation of My Million codes, this side game which guarantees one of the participants to pocket one million euros in each draw. Convinced of being faced with unequal treatment, he sued the FDJ and claimed the trifle of 4.6 million euros for loss of luck.
If this player is so determined, it is because he noticed that the assignment of My Million codes was not always random: in some cases, the numbers follow one another. In general, the My Million code is assigned arbitrarily by the FDJ, in an alphanumeric series of 2 letters between AA and ZZ, followed by 7 numbers. But there is one exception: if you play a combination of more than 10 numbers at Euromillions, the series is different.
“My client noticed that when he played combinations, he was systematically assigned a My Million code located in the range VV and ZZ”, details Matthieu Escande, lawyer specializing in gaming law. Conversely, players who complete an individual grid always have a My Million number between AA and VV. In summary, there are two types of My Million codes: those for individual tables (between AA and VV) and those for combinations (between VV and ZZ).
A desire to save paper
Why make such a distinction between players? Asked about the subject, the FDJ explains that “the presentation of the codes responds to technical requirements for display and printing on game receipts”. In short: this would be to avoid wasting paper by printing too different numbers on extended tickets. Except that this system is also applied when playing online, where the digital version of the game does not require printing of the ticket.
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“On this point, the FDJ does not provide an explanation,” continues Matthieu Escande. The lawyer denounces a lack of transparency in the explanation of the Française des Jeux. “My client thinks his way of playing prevents him from winning. This system can give the impression that there are two bags for the draw but that we only draw in one ”, continues the lawyer.
Implicitly, the complainant believes he noticed that the winners never fell in the correct series. The “big” players, who validate grids with combinations, would be penalized compared to classic players who validate individual grids. False, retorts the FDJ. “In 2020,“ there were 3 My Million winners with a code between VV and ZZ ”, details the national lottery from Capital.
Especially since this distinction – mentioned in the regulation of the Euromillions – would have no effect on the draw. “The mechanism for assigning My Million codes respects equality of opportunity between players since the drawing of lots is done randomly between all the codes that have been assigned”, defends the FDJ again. In other words, it doesn’t matter that there is a distinction between two groups of players, since in any case, only the assigned numbers can be drawn.
The FDJ summoned to court for loss of chance
These arguments did not convince the complainant. After playing the Euromillions 46 times to verify his hypothesis, he sued the FDJ before the Nanterre tribunal de grande instance, in November 2017. Unfortunately for him, the player was dismissed on the grounds that the FDJ applied the regulations. The plaintiff suffered the same fate before the Versailles Court of Appeal on Tuesday, June 15. By the way, the unlucky player was ordered to pay 3,000 euros in damages to the FDJ for abusive proceedings. Between his conviction at first instance and on appeal, he will also have to pay 7,500 euros to cover various legal costs. An amount that should discourage the next players to question the operation of the My Million draw in court.
“My client would have liked things to change. The FDJ recognizes that it makes a distinction between the players, but does not explain why. It is not at all satisfactory “, notes Matthieu Escande. As for the regulations of the Euromillions, fixed by decree, there is also little chance that it will evolve. The player has learned it the hard way, but we does not often win against the Française des Jeux.
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