Most who take their chances on the lottery blindly pick numbers, or use the computerized quick picks to choose them. While this may seem mathematically fair, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage by not using a method or group of numbers to increase your likelihood of hitting the jackpot. It’s important to remember that a set of numbers wins the jackpot, not the individual numbers. It’s okay to repeat select numbers but it’s vitally important to group them differently to increase the chances of winning.
When it comes to the mathematical probabilities of winning there’s a few ways we can look at it. If you take a look at the Powerball website (the most popular lottery in the world) they give the probability of winning as 1 in 175,000,000 (rounded down to the nearest whole million). Without getting too technical they get this number by multiplying the number of different unique five number combinations between 1 and 59 which equals 5,006,386 against 35 (the last unique single number). This is a large number and is difficult to visualize the true unique value of picking a winning combination with such a small chance of being correct. This chance is so small, that if you had 175 million dollar bills and laid them end to end you could complete a complete loop around the entire coastline of the United States and back, twice, with dollars to spare! The probability of winning the lottery is exponentially small but that doesn’t deter millions from trying their luck.
State-run lotteries have been around since the country was founded and they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Proceeds from lotteries often go to pay for infrastructure, welfare programs and general operation costs. However, not all lotto’s are created equal and if playing in the United States you can increase your odds of winning by playing in these five states with the highest payout per dollar played per year. Massachusetts, Arkansas, South Carolina, Minnesota and Georgia top the list for the highest paying lottery per state per year. A number of factors play into this but namely it’s the low operating cost and amount of players that allow the state to give higher payouts per dollar spent.
In the end your chance of winning the lottery is impossibly small and probably will never happen but by understanding the risks and probability there are ways to gain a slight edge in your favor the next time you decide to play.
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