big prize-winners

How FDJ supports its big prize-winners

Personalised support offered to big prize-winners

FDJ Group is committed to supporting its big prize–winners. FDJ Group is known around the world for its historic commitment to big prize–winners. A dedicated team from the Commitment and Responsible Gaming department supports them individually when the payment is processed, then as a group for five years after.  

  • For winnings over €500,00, the Support and Winner Experience team takes care of winners and organises a handing over of the money in their local community. 
  • For winnings over €1,000,000, the Support and Winner Experience team offers individual support to new winners, then offers group support for five years.

Key figures

A new millionaire every two days with FDJ*

Creating winners is what La Française des Jeux promises to do. FDJ helps people win by giving back two thirds of bets to players and making a new millionaire every two days. 

* Average calculated on the number of earnings paid in 2023

  • 428 jackpots of between €500k and €130m in 2023

  • 211 millionaires made in 2022

  • 220 record jackpot in France: €220m in October 2021 won in French Polynesia

  • 400 participants each year at the big winners workshops

Workshops for big prize-winners

Comprehensive, long-lasting support is offered to winners of
over €1m

The aim of this support is to provide objective and comprehensive information, to allow winners to share their experience and ask any questions to our experts. They are offered five workshops in which to do this. 

  • The key to good money management

    Aimed at familiarising winners with the world of finance, the different investment products, and the legal and fiscal frameworks. 

  • The key to understanding your emotions

    Designed to help express feelings about life after winning, share experiences, emotions, and questions. 

  • Simply being together 

    Sharing quality time with other big jackpot winners in a relaxed environment. 

  • Enriching my life after winning

    For questions about how to make sense of winning, and how to enjoy your new life while remaining true to your values. 

  • Pass it on and protect it: advice from a solicitor

    Learning essential information about inheritance using real-life examples.

  • Gold : dedicated to big prize-winners from 5 million euros

    To raise the awareness of our winners on themes related to FDJ‘s commitments to support the positive societal and environmental impacts of winning.

Testimonials

Big prize-winners talk about the support they received from FDJ

  • “The key to good money management” workshop

    We’re in good company, we can talk with no taboos. There is a feeling of being supported and looked after. They don’t just leave you to fend for yourself.

    Karim Several million euros, EuroMillions – My Million en 2021

  • “Advice from a solicitor” workshop

    I come to the workshops regularly. They’re absolutely fantastic! The speakers are always excellent!

    Chrystèle €15 million, EuroMillions, 2008

  • “The key to understanding your emotions” workshop

    This is the first workshop we’ve been to. It’s been very enriching, comforting, and we’ve met lots of great people.

    Elodie €3 million, LOTO, 2022

  • “Enriching my life after winning” workshop

    What a great motivational boost at the end of the day, learning how to progress with a remarkable coach, who’s very nice and attentive to his audience. Thank you very much!

    Thierry €5 million, LOTO, 2018

Interview

A few questions with Isabelle Cesari, Support and Winner Experience manager

What do you do at FDJ?

Isabelle Cesari : “My team is made up of five people, and together we take care of jackpot winners from €500,000. Between €500,000 and €999,999, the winnings are handed over at local payment centres. For winnings above a million, we meet with each winner and offer them individual, custom support after they receive the money, as well as a five-year group support offering.” 

 

How does the group support work?

Isabelle Cesari : “We organise around 20 workshops per year around the whole of France to get out there and meet our winners. Our workshops touch on many topics. They allow us to share information with the winners, especially around things like asset management and inheritance. This totally neutral information aims to give them the keys to make informed choices that are appropriate for them and their personalities. Other workshops involve working on expressing their emotions about their day-to-day lives. This gives them the opportunity to put into perspective what they’re feeling and better understand their emotions. Other sessions offer an overview of opportunities, often in line with FDJ’s commitments, that could help winners think about making sense of their winnings and how they can act to change the balance in the challenges our society faces. We invite them to workshops about protecting the environment and biodiversity, as well as investments towards a more sustainable world. Our group support also provides our winners an invaluable opportunity to start deep conversations with people in the same position as them. It’s a very lively community!” 

 

What is the community like?

Isabelle Cesari : “Workshops are often made up of a mixture of old and new winners, which enables those who have only just received their winnings to benefit from the experience of previous winners. That’s always very useful to them because the advice from someone in the same position as them will always be worth more than any expert. This goes hand-in-hand with the support that we provide. Previous winners love sharing their experience and offering support to new winners, who are always happy to receive advice and learnings about this singularly unique experience. In fact, we’re one of the few lotteries in the world to offer such a comprehensive support system.”