Tahiti, FRENCH POLYNESIA — A woman in French Polynesia has won a record $US254 million in the EuroMillions lottery.

The woman has chosen to remain anonymous, and was given the cheque by representatives of France's lottery games operator FDJ after they arrived from Paris.

The organisation said it was her first time playing, but she had told her grandfather if she did ever play she would win something.

According to media reports, she wants to travel with her family, experience snow for the first time, and might even buy a place on every continent.

She plans to continue working, might open a business and will give money to children in need.

The amount won by the woman equals the amount French Polynesia received from France to help with Covid-19, and is larger than the annual budget of some of the smaller countries in the Pacific.