Lottery is a game of chance. And when you check the official prizes & odds for particular games, you'll see that some games have better odds than others. We’ve outlined some ways to think about choosing games and numbers to help you understand the odds of getting lucky.
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 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 Milliosn 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 buys 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.
6. 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!
7. 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 purchase 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 purchased.
There you have it, folks. We hope lottery odds are no longer a mystery.
