The Truth Behind Lotteries

Are you a lottery fan? Does the thought of those numbers coming up send shivers down your spine? Do you have a list of your all-time favourite numbers that you use week in, week out in the hope of striking it lucky? If so, you are not alone! In the UK, nearly 45 million people play the lottery regularly – a whopping 70% of those over 18’s! However, that number does mean that the odds of winning it big are very small, while not 100% accurate, the odds according to Metro.co.uk are approximate as follows:

• Odds to win the Lotto jackpot, 1 in 45 million.

• Odds to win the EuroMillions jackpot, 1 in 140 million.

• Odds to win the top prize in Set for Life, 1 in 15 million.

• Odds to win the top prize in Thunderball, 1 in 8 million.

Yet people do win, and it’s exciting – that once-a-week thrill of waiting for your numbers to come up and when they do, even if you only manage 3, it’s always nice to be a winner even if it’s just £30, plus the odds of 3 numbers are quite good at 1 in 97.

Will I Ever Win It Big?

We hate to disappoint you, but the chances of you winning it big by playing the lottery are very low. In fact, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 300,000 chance) than win the UK’s National Lottery. However, that’s the jackpot – it’s good to know that you are more likely to win smaller amounts (the following are National Lottery odds).

• 6 numbers, 1 in 14 million chance.

• 5 numbers, 1 in 55,500.

• 4 numbers, 1 in 2,180.

• 3 numbers, 1 in 97.

• 2 numbers, 1 in 10.

So – while you might dream big, the chances are if you win, it will be smaller, but that’s better than nothing, right?

Should I Change Up My Numbers?

Well, that depends on how superstitious you are! The winning numbers are always random – so you have as much chance of winning using your favourite numbers as you are picking out numbers from a hat! The bottom line is playing the same numbers doesn’t mean you’re going to win eventually.

A Smaller Jackpot Means Smaller Odds!

You’d think so! However, it’s nothing to do with the jackpot amount, it's to do with how many people play. So, if it’s EuroMillions or the National Lottery, you’ll still be stuck with similar odds, certainly as far as the jackpot is concerned. If you want better odds, find a smaller lottery, something like The Postcode Lottery, the chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 1.2 million, so significantly better odds than the National Lottery, but the top prize is much smaller at around £3.2 million; still, it’s a life-changing amount for sure.

What Are the Chances of Winning Twice?

The odds are no different each time you play – this one is down to luck! Plenty of people have one twice. In 2017, a Californian teenager bought a scratch card and won $555,555 and then did another scratch card in the same week and took home an extra $100,000! 

The Lottery Is Only Good for the Winners

Playing every week but getting nowhere can be very disheartening but the truth is that while you might feel the winner of the jackpot was lucky (and yes, they were) so they’re the biggest beneficiary, there are lots of other people who benefit from lotteries. Plenty of money goes to charities. For example, the National Lottery supports many causes, including health, education, environment, sport, charities, arts and heritage.

Final Words

So now you know the truth – and yes, the odds aren’t stacked heavily in your favour when it comes to winning the jackpot, but someone has to win it! If you don’t participate, you don’t have any chance at all, so roll the dice and buy a ticket – Good Luck!