Lottery is a game of chance. And when you check the official prizes and odds for particular games, you'll see that some games have better odds than others. These lottery winning tips give you some ways to think about choosing games and numbers to help you understand the odds of getting lucky.
Here are Seven Lottery Winning Tips
Is there a trick to winning the lottery? Check out these seven tips on lottery winning to help you choose the best game for you, what numbers to use (or skip), and more. While there’s no surefire way to win any prize, these tips to win the lottery could help you make better decisions.
1. Pick your game
Powerball and Mega Millions are the most-played lottery games nationwide. Not only are these games extremely popular, but they also have a wider number pool to choose from compared to state and local lottery games. If you are lucky enough to match all 6 numbers and win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, there's always a chance that there could be other winners as well, meaning you would have to share the jackpot with the other winners.
Looking for lotto games with better odds? Daily games or local state games may have better overall odds of winning a prize (check your lottery website for the exact odds of the games on offer) even though the payouts are smaller. For example, the game All or Nothing in Texas has overall odds of winning any prize of 1 in 4.5 compared to Powerball's overall odds of 1 in 24.
On a similar note, don’t count out scratch-offs! Scratch-off prizes are typically smaller than the massive Powerball or Mega Millions Millions jackpot, but the chances of winning may be better. Check the back of the scratch ticket or your lottery website for odds and prize levels. Did you know you can order scratch-off tickets on Jackpocket in some states?)
Don't count out scratch-offs.
Did you know? You can order scratch-off tickets on Jackpocket in some states.
2. Use lottery pools
More lottery tickets mean more chances of winnings. That’s where a lottery pool comes in. Gather a group of friends, colleagues or family members and pool your tickets together. Everyone in the group gets a ticket, and if one person has the winning numbers then everyone shares the prize.
Depending on which state you're located in, you have a few different lottery pool options on the Jackpocket app. You can start your own lottery pool or join our public lottery pools with thousands of other Jackpocket players.
3. Don’t use your birthday to pick your numbers
A common strategy for choosing lottery numbers is to choose digits based off of a birthday or anniversary. But by doing so, you are limiting your lottery numbers to 1 through 30 or 31, based on the calendar. Mega Millions, for example, draws numbers from a much wider pool—from 1 to 70.
Instead, don’t limit yourself to just the numbers on the calendar. If a number over 31 turns out to be the winning pick, the likelihood that someone has the same number combination as you decreases—and so does the possibility of having to split the jackpot.
4. Always remember to check the lottery drawings
An easy way to not win the lottery is to forget to check the lottery results! A whopping $2 billion in lottery winnings are left on the table every year, because players forget to check results or don't realize they've won. The state lottery doesn't track down MIA winners, but the Jackpocket app lets you know automatically if your ticket has won a prize at any level! We even send winnings under ~$600 (depending on your state) straight to your account.
An easy way to not win the lottery is to forget to check the lottery results!
5. Beware of lottery scams
Anyone can be the recipient of random robo-calls informing them that they've just won one million dollars. Scammers are typically easy to detect—but anyone can be fooled! Always be sure to get a lottery ticket from an authorized lottery retailer. When you place your order using Jackpocket, our team fulfills your order by securing lottery tickets on your behalf from a licensed retailer in your state. We send a high resolution scan of your paper ticket — front and back — for you to view in the app. Plus, for each order, you receive an email with your ticket serial number as assurance that your ticket was ordered.
If you’re ever uncertain about a call or email you receive about winning on Jackpocket, please get in touch with our customer service team to verify if we reached out to you. Our customer service team is happy to help. You can reach out to us via a form on our website or find us via your favorite social media platform.
There you have it, folks. We hope lottery odds are no longer a mystery.
FAQs
Do you still have questions about participating in the lottery in your state? Our frequently asked questions provide the answers to some of the most common questions we get about tips for winning the lottery.
How often should you participate in the lottery to boost your odds?
One of our top tips for winning the lottery is to play a range of numbers. Don’t cluster your number choices to a specific group of numbers. For example, the disadvantage of choosing dates such as anniversaries or birthdays is that it limits your number of choices to one through 31. It’s okay to include these numbers in your total number choices, but include numbers in the higher end of the selection of numbers, too. Playing a more comprehensive range of numbers increases your chances of winning a prize. And if you’re getting multiple tickets, use different numbers on each ticket.
Participating in the lottery is all fun and games, so long as you don’t overplay your hand. Have a budget for participating in the lottery and stick to it. The odds do not change, no matter the number of tickets you order or how frequently you join the fun.
Is winning the lottery based on strategy or pure luck?
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Strategies vs. Luck
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People have many strategies they use when playing the lottery. From birthdays and other special occasions to random guessing, these strategies are fun to play.
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It comes down to pure luck as the drawings are completely random.
Strategies differ when it comes to ideas about choosing winning numbers for lottery draw games. From fortune cookie numbers to lucky numbers provided with a horoscope to lottery mathematics and studying past winning numbers to predict when numbers will be drawn, there’s no shortage of approaches to picking numbers for the lottery. The reality is that it’s all a numbers game, and it comes down to the luck of the draw. There is no strategy that will guarantee you any lottery prize.
What should you do if you win the jackpot?
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Build a team of professionals around you
If fortune shines upon you and you find yourself the lucky winner of a lottery jackpot, there are things you should do to be ready to claim your newfound wealth. First, if you haven’t done so already, sign your ticket and lock it away until you are prepared to claim your prize to keep it safe.
Next, you want to come up with a plan for how to claim and what to do with the money. Getting a team of professionals behind you will be an investment, but it will be well worth it when it comes to getting the most for your new winnings. Your team should include:
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A lottery attorney - They can help you create a trust to claim your winnings if your state allows it. This will help to protect your identity.
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A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - They will help you ensure that you have enough to pay the taxes that will be owed on your winnings. They can also help you decide if the cash lump sum or annuity option is suitable for you and your tax situation.
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A financial planner - They can help you create a balanced plan that allows you to enjoy your winnings while ensuring you have enough for future needs, such as education for the kids or grandkids or a new home.
It’s important to note that nearly one-third of lottery winners end up declaring bankruptcy within three to five years after winning the lottery. The need for smart planning may include keeping the fact that you won to yourself (if your state allows you to claim anonymously). This can be the key to truly having the life you’ve always dreamed of.
