Lotto Lottery Strategy The Odds of Winning

The odds of winning, odds comparisons, how to win the lottery: (Strategy, plan, tactics, method, system, technique.)

There is very little you can do to influence or predict the lotto outcome. You could however generate a 'secondary' advantage by playing the 'Wheeling System'. (The wheeling system that lottery players use is a method of systematically selecting multiple lottery tickets to improve the odds).

Statistically, Wheeling Systems do not increase your chances of winning a jackpot. They do however increase your chances of winning multiple tier prizes as compared to randomly filling out selections or using quick picks.

Having said that, don't forget that winning the lottery jackpot is sheer luck. One set of numbers is enough to win it. A few more selections may give you more hope and make you feel better, which is not bad. Playing many selections is gambling against very high odds - not a wise thing to do on a regular basis.

If you believe winning the lottery is sheer luck and you believe you can win, then you should accept that buying one ticket a week is enough. This way, you will save a lot of money over time and you will still be in the game every week. See "What I do:" below (by the Editor).

UK and European Lotteries Jackpot odds comparisons
(From highest to lowest)

PowerBall
1 in 292,201,338

Euro Jackpot
1 in 139,838,160

EuroMillions
1 in 139,838,160

UK Lotto
1 in 45,057,474

Euro Dreams
1 in 19,191,900

Set For Life
1 in 15,339,390

Irish Lotto
1 in 8,145,060

ThunderBall
1 in 8,060,598

Health Lottery
1 in 2,118,760

The largest US Multi-Jurisdictional Lotteries Jackpot odds comparisons
(From highest to lowest)

Powerball
1 in 292,201,338
Mega Millions
1 in 290,472,232
Lucky for Life
1 in 30,821,472
Lotto America
1 in 25,989,600
Cash4Life
1 in 21,846,048
All or Nothing
1 in 324,632

What I do (by the Editor):

I chose to play the UK Thunderball lottery because although it offers a smaller fixed jackpot amount, the odds of winning it are much more favourable than most other lotteries (see UK and European Lotteries odds comparisons shown above). To win the Thunderball jackpot, you need to match 5 numbers selected from 1-39 and 1 Thunderball number selected from 1-14. The Thunderball odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 8,060,598. The odds of winning the UK Lotto jackpot are 1 in 45,057,474.

The Thunderball lottery has 4 weekly draws, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I play once a week, Tuesdays only. I buy my Tuesday draw ticket after Saturday's draw has taken place, not before. I buy one ticket only with the set of numbers generated by the machine, which means different set of numbers every week. I buy in person from various shops that I pass by, that sell lottery tickets. I treat the purchase of my weekly lottery ticket after Saturday's draw and before Tuesday's draw as my most important task of the week.

One particular thing that I like about the Thunderball lottery is that it pays a prize amount on fewer matched numbers, down to a single number match, as follows:

Thunderball lottery prizes:
You choose 5 main numbers from 1-39 and 1 Thunderball number from 1-14. If you match

5 main numbers plus the Thunderball number
prize Ł500,000.00 (main jackpot, not shared with other winners, if any)
5 main numbers
prize Ł5,000.00
4 main numbers plus the Thunderball number
prize $250.00
4 main numbers
prize Ł100.00
3 main numbers plus the Thunderball number
prize Ł20.00
3 main numbers
prize Ł10.00
2 main numbers plus the Thunderball number
prize Ł10.00
1 main number plus the Thunderball number
prize Ł5.00
Thunderball number only
prize Ł3.00