On Friday, a group of 21 friends in Belgium won a EuroMillions jackpot worth 123 million euros, or almost P8.5 billion.

The friends, who formed a lottery syndicate to pool their resources, decided to buy a ticket together for the popular EuroMillions draw last week. Their collective gamble paid off handsomely when their numbers matched the winning combination, splitting the massive prize equally among themselves.

The group, whose identities remain private, expressed disbelief and joy at their sudden fortune. One member shared in a statement: “We still can’t believe it. This is truly life-changing for all of us. We’ve been playing together for years, but never imagined this would happen.”

Experts advise lottery winners to take their time before making big decisions. Financial advisors often recommend securing professional help to manage the sudden wealth responsibly and avoid common pitfalls.
Local officials and the lottery commission confirmed the authenticity of the win and congratulated the group for their fortunate luck.

After splitting the jackpot, the Zingem village pals will each receive €5.8 million, or roughly P403 million.

“Yeah, that’s unbelievable!” said Marianne, one of the winners and a pensioner.

Marianne told AFP, “It will make life a bit easier,” outside the bakery where they purchased the winning ticket. “It will be very good for the children and the grandchild and they will have a good future and that’s the most important thing.”

The secret to their victory? Redgy Taerwe, who sold the winning ticket, said it was luck.

Regarding the tickets with randomly selected numbers, he stated, “Friday in the morning, they came here and asked for a ‘quick pick’ for, I think, 105 euros.”

“That was it. They won,” he continued.

It was one of the largest jackpots ever won in Belgium at €123,555,827.

A bettor who won a €168,085,323 jackpot in October 2016 holds the record.

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