What are the Odds of Winning the Lottery?
Winning the lottery is no easy feat as the odds are always stacked against players. Many theories have been advanced to make players believe that they can increase the odds of winning the lottery. Some people believe choosing numbers related to their birth date, their lucky numbers, or the frequency of playing the lottery increase their chances of winning the lottery.
Whichever method you use, picking the right numbers can change one’s life forever. Unfortunately, the odds are vastly stacked against you. If playing the Irish Lotto, for example, the odds of winning are 1 in 10,737,573 while those of winning the UK Lotto are 1 in 45,057, 474. It doesn’t get any better with the PowerBall, MegaMillions, and the EuroJackpot.
Contestants participating in the PowerBall have 1 in 292, 201,338 chance of winning, while those playing the EuroJackpot have a probability of 1 in 95,000,000. Understanding lottery math is critical to knowing how you can increase the odds of winning the lotto.
How Lottery Math Works
A typical lottery game requires players to choose six distinct numbers out of 49. If the selected numbers match those drawn by the lottery, the ticket holder becomes the jackpot winner regardless of the order of the numbers.
As such, the probability of winning the lottery are reduced to 1 in 13,983,816. This is because, according to the lottery match, the likelihood of predicting every number correctly is different. Once you draw the first number, the probability of winning is 1/49.
However, when choosing the second number, the probability of winning is 1/48 as the balls are drawn without replacement. The same criteria is used to determine the probability of subsequent balls. The order of the numbers is immaterial as long as all the six numbers are drawn. So, is there a chance that players can increase the probabilities of winning the lottery? Find out.
Choose the Most Commonly Drawn Numbers
Choosing the most commonly drawn numbers increases a player’s chance to win the lottery. In 2018, the most commonly drawn number was 54. The number had appeared in winning combinations 44 times since 2015 when the ball pool was expanded 59 digits by the National Lottery. The increase helped create more cumulative rollovers frequently.
Other common numbers include:
- 58 (has appeared 43 times since 2015)
- 52 (has appeared 38 times)
- 41 (has appeared 40 times)
- 37 (has appeared 39 times)
- 8 (has appeared 40 times)
Players should, however, note that the frequency of appearance does not mean they will be drawn together. The probability of the numbers appearing in a winning combination is the same as that of choosing any of the six numbers.
Avoid Choosing Birthday Dates
Sticking to birthday dates limits the range of numbers you can choose as you are relegating yourself to the less than half of the numbers available (1-31). Additionally, many people are likely to select those numbers, which means you may need to share the prize. Spreading the numbers across the whole track eliminates the probability of selecting similar numbers with other people and splitting the pot.
Choose Unique Numbers
Look for numbers that have not appeared in winning combinations for a while. Such numbers include 24 (appeared almost a year ago), 57, 35, 43, 4, and 49. Also, consider choosing the least often picked numbers like 28, 33, 9, 24, 28 and 53. The premise for this belief is that overdue numbers are likely to be included in a winning combination.
However, there’s is a 50/50 chance that the tactic may help determine the right winning combination as the odds remain 1 in 14 million. It is just as flipping a coin, where each outcome is independent. If you flip a coin five times and the outcome is five heads in a row, it does not mean that the next time you will get a tail.
Buy Many Tickets
If you play 50 cards, you have a higher chance of winning than a person who played five cards. Many contesters believe it’s all about the frequency of playing the lotto, but it’s not. The odds of winning the lottery are independent regardless of the day you play. However, playing more cards increases and diversifies your investment hence improving your odds.
Be sure to play responsibly. Don’t go using the grocery money, school fee, or rent money. The rule of the thumb states you should only play what you can afford to lose.
Use the Random Selection Method
The technique not only increases your chance of winning but also the probability of winning more. Selecting the numbers randomly means you have a combination least likely to have been selected by another player.
Most people use prediction software to select their winning combinations. Other people using the software will likely select the same numbers. As such, if you win the jackpot, then you would have to share the prize.
Do Previous Wins Increase One’s Chances of Winning?
No, it doesn’t. If a person wins the lottery, the probability that the same individual wins a second time is the same as the chance that he wins the lottery if he had not won the lottery before.
