There have been more than a fair share of ‘lottery gurus’, mathematicians and statistic experts on the web claiming to show you how to choose your winning numbers and yet you are just as likely to win the lottery if you pick consecutive numbers as if you use the lucky dip tool or hand select your favourite numbers. Whatever your tactic- winning the lottery really does come down to luck.
But is there anything you can do to increase your chances of winning?
Buy a lottery ticket
Well the first thing is to buy a lottery ticket! It might sound obvious but we’ve all been guilty of seeing the jackpot advertised and planning how we’ll spend the winnings when we haven’t actually even bought a ticket- or plan to before the draw!
Choosing your lottery game
Now when it comes to choosing which lottery to purchase a ticket for, it doesn’t hurt to look at the odds of winning. No longer are we simply restricted to playing lotteries within our jurisdiction. Did you know for example that the chances of winning the Polish Lotto jackpot is 1 in 13,983,816 compared to odds of 1 in 116,531,800 for matching all your numbers on the Euromillions? But of course it’s not just about odds. Whilst the Euromillions guarantees a minimum jackpot of €15 million, the Polish Lotto only guarantees one of 2 million PLN (less than half a million euros). So whilst you’re more likely to win the Polish Lotto jackpot verses the Euromillions, you’re much more likely to become a multi millionaire by playing the latter.
Join a syndicate
Whilst many people are put off joining a syndicate because they would have to share their winnings if they won, playing the lottery as a syndicate greatly increases your chances of winning the jackpot. For example, a syndicate of 10 people might buy 5 tickets, each with a different number combination. Not only do you only have to pay the cost of half a ticket each week this way, but you are also 5 times as likely to win as you have 5 different tickets entering each week. In July 2013, a syndicate of 10 people won £28 million on the Euromillions, entitling them to £2.8 million each- not a bad pay out!
Buy Scratch cards
Some scratch cards have odds of 1 in 5 of a win. Whilst some might only give out prizes of £100 or less, there are others that will pay out annual salaries, or even hundreds of thousands or millions in a single payout. Whilst you may only buy a scratch card once in a blue moon, the odds of winning are higher.