Do you ever lose yourself in a daydream wondering what it would be like if you won the lottery? The possibilities of what could be is what keeps many of us going back for that winning lottery ticket. We know it’s unlikely, but what if I won? People have, and people do… And one thing is certain, nobody ever won the lottery without a ticket!
So, how do you improve your chance of winning the lottery?
Is it all about luck or is there some strategy involved? The answer to both of these questions, is a (qualified) yes.
Playing the right game is one way to improve your chances. If you’re going to play a lottery and play to win, explore the various games you can participate in. Equipped with some knowledge you can play lottery games that offer a better chance of winning.
Lottery tickets are relatively inexpensive, but regardless, spending wisely can help your money go further. That is until you get your hands on that winning lottery ticket, and the rest is history.
Is there really a trick to winning the lottery?
While winning the lottery involves a lot of luck, picking the right game can help you get one step closer. In addition, you can increase the number of tickets you purchase. Different games can have different odds of winning. Ultimately, winnings odds are based on the required winning numbers and the size of the pools of numbers available. Games with fewer numbers in-play offer a better chance of winning.
The National Lottery, established in 1994 in the United Kingdom has a variety of games including the Lotto, EuroMillions, Set For Life, Thunderball, and more. While many players gravitate toward the games with bigger names, this decision may lead to a reduced chance of winning. Doing a little bit of homework on the game you are playing is a worthwhile strategy.
We’ve set out the comparative odds of all the main National Lottery games as well as the ones you can play with The Health Lottery (The Big Win, QuickWin and All or Nothing) here.
Purely for comparison, what are the odds of winning MegaMillions, one of the biggest lottery games in the USA? Well, MegaMillions requires five winning numbers out of 70 and two draws each week (Tuesday and Friday). There’s also an extra Mega Ball with 25 options.
If you do the math (as MegaMillions players would say), the odds of winning the jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350. Compare this to the Health Lottery’s Big Win game with jackpot odds of 1 in 2,118,760 and five weekly draws (Tuesday to Saturday). The Big Win has some of the best winning odds in the United Kingdom (although it should be noted that you can’t actually play it everywhere in the UK, as most British lotteries cannot be played in Northern Ireland).
What are the 6 most common winning lottery numbers?
And the winning numbers are. . . 17, 7, 11, 2, 3 and 9. These are the most frequently drawn numbers from the main barrel. On the flipside, 33, 15, 34, 31, 26, and 1 are the least frequently drawn numbers from the main barrel.
For the Powerball, 19 and 2 are the most frequently drawn numbers and 14 and 16 are least frequently drawn.
It should be pointed out that the frequency or rarity of numbers appearing in the American MegaMillions isn’t exactly a cast-iron basis for selecting lottery numbers on this side of the Atlantic. It can inform a strategy for picking numbers, but isn't a strategy in itself. But we all like stats, don’t we?
What are the odds that that I can win?
The odds of winning the lottery will vary depending on the game you are playing. While one individual may have “luckier” numbers than another, the chances of winning are calculated based on the required winning numbers and the size of the pool of options available.
Regardless of the game you play though, the odds of winning are slim, but the dream of winning is larger than life.
The more often you play any given lottery, the more chances of winning you’ll have. More tickets in a single draw give more chances to win that draw – assuming, of course, that the tickets don’t all feature the same set of numbers! So, a valid if rather basic strategy for winning a lottery is to choose one with cheaper tickets and play more lines in a single draw. As it happens, all of The Health Lottery’s draw games cost £1 to play, which is the price they were when they launched. The National Lottery’s Lotto has doubled in price in the meantime…
Explore the various games available and the odds of winning to tighten up your playing strategy. And consider playing in a syndicate – it’s the simplest way to get more tickets without having to buy them all yourself! Of course, sharing the cost of entry means sharing any winnings too.
What is the best strategy for picking lottery numbers?
As discussed, winning the lottery is partially luck, but there can be some strategy involved too. When it comes to picking lottery numbers, keep this titbit in your back pocket - most winning lottery tickets tend to be equally split between odd and even numbers. Therefore, opting for the odds and even strategy might improve your chances of winning.
Help, I don’t know what lottery numbers to choose!
Some prefer to take the pressure off themselves by taking the Quick Pick or Lucky Dip option. Quick Pick is a fast and easy way to let technology pick numbers for you. Surprisingly, an estimated 70% of Powerball winners have selected numbers using the Quick Pick option. Lastly, you can always stick with a consistent set of lucky numbers until your luck strikes. Just be aware that any given number becomes no more or less likely to drop whether it has appeared 50 times before or never, and that although the law of averages demands that every number will appear no more or less than any other over time, time in this instance could be a very long time indeed.
How many numbers do you need to win the lottery?
The answer to this question depends on which lottery you’re playing.
To win the National Lottery’s Lotto jackpot you’ll need a lucky set of six numbers for the jackpot, and these need to be picked from a set of 1 to 59.
To land The Big Win jackpot you’ll need a lucky set of five numbers for the jackpot, and these need to be picked from a set of 1 to 50.
You don’t need to be a maths genius to see that this will lead to different odds of winning each, but it is, in fact, 21 times easier to hit The Big Win’s jackpot than Lotto’s.
Realistically, can I win the lottery?
Real lottery winners do exist, and many of those winners are just like you or me. While your chances of winning are very small in the grand scheme of things, the chance to win does exist. As we’ve mentioned, picking the right game can help your chance of winning.
The Health Lottery has games with some of the best odds of winning and there is a complete comparison of how they stack up against popular lotteries you can play in Britain here. We've also compiled some data on Lotto, EuroMillions and Big Win hot numbers (and cold numbers too) here.
Remember that playing our games helps to support a great variety of small, local health charity projects all over Great Britain.
For those who prefer less suspense, you can play games such as Black Pearl or 7UP! that offer instant wins. Compare the odds of instant win games and choose the one you like the look of the best. You can try all of our instant win games for free in Demo Mode, but nothing you win will make it into your wallet.
In summary, playing the lottery is not a retirement strategy to bank on, but if you find enjoyment in the thrill of possibly winning… keep playing and enjoy it. Please only do so within your limits, however, and if it stops being fun, take a break or stop completely.
