Loto, scratch cards... Friday the 13th, a jackpot for Française des jeux

Third and last Friday the 13th of the year 2026, an exceptional day for FDJ United (formerly Française des jeux). On this Friday the 13th, the games operator expects as usual a notable increase in sales of scratch tickets and stakes for its lotteries. Associated by superstition with a day of luck (or bad luck, it depends), “Friday the 13th constitutes a real social phenomenon in France, in particular among Loto players, regular or occasional. It’s an event that is quite symbolic for us,” recognizes the company.

Thus, according to the gambling operator, which has a monopoly on lottery games in France, twice as many French people try their luck at the Loto that day, compared to an ordinary draw. A success that can also be explained by the jackpots that FDJ United puts into play every Friday the 13th.

This will again be the case this Friday, November 13: the operator is putting a jackpot of 21 million euros into play during a Super Loto. Its starting amount was initially 13 million euros. But this figure was only a guaranteed minimum: the prize pool would have been only 13 million euros if it had been less than or equal to 12 million euros after the November 11 draw. However, on Wednesday November 11, no player found the right combination and the jackpot of 15 million euros was not won. In this case, the regulations provide for starting from these 15 million and adding one million euros, as after any drawing without a winner, then an exceptional bonus of 5 million specific to Friday the 13th. Hence the jackpot of 21 million euros at stake this Friday.

The Super Loto also offers another chance to win. Each grid played receives a code, and some of these codes are drawn at random. “Another draw will take place: 50 of these codes (compared to 10 in Loto) will be drawn at random. Players whose Super Loto code is drawn will win 20,000 euros,” specifies FDJ United. Players have until 8:15 p.m. to validate their grid, at the point of sale or online. The stake is 3 euros for a simple grid. The draw will take place around 8:20 p.m. If no one wins the jackpot, it will be increased by one million euros and put back into play in the next drawing.

A third of French people say they are superstitious

A EuroMillions draw will also take place this evening, like every Friday. Its jackpot amounts to 17 million euros, the jackpot of 141.8 million having been won on Tuesday. It should also benefit from particular enthusiasm because of the date. “For the French, Friday the 13th is rather associated with luck. We can think that the link is there,” we say at FDJ United. One in three French people (34%) say they are superstitious, according to a study carried out in May 2022 by the operator among the general public and 300 of its winners. According to this same study, the date Friday the 13th is synonymous with luck for 19% of French people. This phenomenon intensifies among younger people: half of those under 35 have this feeling, the study indicates. 42% of winners who declare themselves to be superstitious believe that they won their prize thanks to their superstition.

To choose Loto numbers, a study conducted by OpinionWay in June 2016 confirms that if 27% of players use numbers chosen at random, 40% base themselves on their date of birth, their age or those of their loved ones, 37% even mention a “flash” and 29% “important in their life” or even “fetish” numbers. However, statistics do exist: players can therefore opt for the numbers that fall most often. For example, FDJ United indicates that between July 2019 and November 2026, the balls that were drawn the most bore the numbers 30 (136 exits), 31 (135 exits) and 5 (127 exits). Conversely, the numbers that have been used the least since 2019 are 43 (90 times), 33 (96 times) and 11 (99 times).

The enthusiasm for the Loto can also be explained by practices which have evolved significantly for some time. For example, the number of online lottery players has exploded over the last ten years. Be careful, however, not to develop an addiction to games. Because the practice is not without risks: the Games Observatory estimated in 2020 that there were 1.4 million players at risk, including nearly 400,000 at the pathological level. As a reminder, games of chance and gambling are prohibited for under 18s in France.