One in a trillion - lottery player's amazing luck

A Frenchman has reason to celebrate after a second massive lottery win. Photo / AP file

A Frenchman has won the country's lottery for the second time in less than two years and mathematicians say the odds of doing that are one in 16 trillion.

The BBC reports that the winner won his first €1m ($1.6m) in November 2016.

He continued to play the My Million lottery and last month got another €1m.

According to the newsagent in the Haute-Savoie region where the ticket was bought, the man hardly reacted, adding: "I guess he is used to winning."

AFP reports that a double win is not unheard of. Last month an Australian man won a local lottery twice in one week - scooping more than A$1m each time.

Le Parisien quoted mathematicians as saying that the odds of winning the My Million once were about 19 million to one and the bigger EuroMillions 140 million to one.

The BBC said that the odds of winning twice put other unlikely events in the shade, according to the bookmaker Paddy Power.

In comparison being struck by lightning twice is a one in 20 million chance. Getting a hole in one in back-to-back rounds of golf is one in 60 million.

Lottery organisers put the odds of winning once at one in 1.845 million.