While you’re far more likely to get hit by lightning than win the jackpot according to a lottery odds analogy, your lottery odds are never zero. You can raise your winning odds and get a better chance of hitting the jackpot with strategic playing. Learn how to increase your winning potential with tactics like buying a surplus of tickets and betting frequently drawn numbers here at XO Lotto.
Understanding different lottery games
Learning the different lottery formats is essential so you know where your chances of winning lie. Discover the most popular lottery game types with varying prize sizes below:
Lotto games
Lotto is one of the most popular formats for lottery games because of its straightforward mechanics. Here, players choose 5–6 numbers from 1–47. At the end of the ticket-buying period, numbers are drawn for the winning combination and players with matching numbers win the jackpot prize.
Because lotto games are progressive, the jackpot continues to grow until it’s claimed by a lucky winner.
Here are some popular Lotto games you can play on XO Lotto:
Scratch cards
Scratch cards offer attractive prizes that players can instantly enjoy thanks to their quick and easy gameplay. Depending on the size of your prize, you can claim it at the store where you bought your ticket or at an arranged meeting with the National Lottery.
To play the game, you just have to choose the best scratch card, purchase it and scratch off the thin film to reveal the symbols or numbers underneath. If your card shows the required numbers or symbols combination, you win big prizes.
Here are the scratch card games we offer at XO Lotto:
Keno
Keno is a game of luck that originated in China. Unlike other lottery game types, it allows you to choose how much money you want to wager. This makes for a more flexible gaming experience where you can adjust your bets between each draw.
To play the game, players must choose their number from a grid of 80. You can choose as many as you want, but most players keep it between 1 and 15. Afterwards, 20 winning numbers are drawn automatically. Your winnings will depend on the numbers you bet on and how many numbers match the draw.
Here are the keno games you can try out from XO Lotto:
Frequency of numbers in lottery games
To give yourself the best chance of winning the lottery, you can refer to the frequency of the numbers that come up in winning combinations. Consider adding the numbers in the table below to increase your probability of winning.
In the example experiment below that took 59 rounds, the number ‘36’ was drawn the most with 20 draws. This was followed closely by numbers ‘5’, ‘11’, ‘33’, and ‘34’ with 19 draws each and ‘6’, ‘10’, ‘24’, and ‘32’ with 18 draws each.
| Lottery number | Occurrences | Probability |
| 36 | 20 draws | 3.76% |
| 5, 11, 33, 34 | 19 draws | 3.57% |
| 6, 10, 24, 32 | 18 draws | 3.38% |
| 17, 19, 30 | 17 draws | 3.2% |
| 1, 3, 7, 27 | 16 draws | 3.01% |
| 8, 13, 14, 22, 25, 26, 31, 37 | 14 draws | 2.63% |
| 9, 18 | 13 draws | 2.44% |
| 16, 20, 35 | 12 draws | 2.25% |
| 4, 23, 29 | 11 draws | 2.07% |
| 21 | 10 draws | 1.88% |
| 12, 15, 28 | 9 draws | 1.69% |
| 2 | 4 draws | 0.75% |
Tips for winning the lottery
Despite being a game of pure luck, you can further increase your probability of winning the lottery by following these tips. In a game with such low odds, every decision you make can get you closer to winning the jackpot prize. Follow these best practices to do just that:
Buy a surplus of tickets
To enhance their chances of winning the jackpot, some players would buy multiple tickets at a time. If the odds for a certain lottery game are at 1 in 10,000,000, you can assume that buying 10 tickets can bring that down to 1 in 9,999,990.
More than buying several tickets, you must stay consistent with your purchases. Find a balance between your ticket purchasing and the potential returns you could make by winning smaller prizes. When trying this strategy, only do so within a set budget.
Avoid using the same numbers
When choosing numbers for the lottery, most people stick to their preferences and choose a set of numbers every time. However, this is limiting your chances.
It’s better to diversify your picks and make sure that they are not consecutive or don’t follow any sort of conventional sequence. Add variety to your numbers so they don’t fall into repeated patterns that diminish your chances of winning.
Pick a lucky day to buy tickets
Buying a ticket on a day considered to be prosperous could potentially help increase your luck and bring in more money. Purchase tickets on lucky days for an extra boost to your luck:
- ‘Ichiryu Manbai’: A special day for those who want to increase their money. It represents rapid growth as one grain of rice will one day become an ear of rice. This is celebrated during the new year.
- ‘Tenshabi’: Meaning ‘god’s amnesty’, these are considered to be the luckiest days in the Japanese calendar. This is the best day to start new activities as the gods give their blessings and support your endeavours. They are celebrated on Boyin Day in spring, Jiawu Day in summer, Wushen Day in autumn, and Jiazi Day in winter.
- ‘Tora no hi’: Celebrated every 12 days for January, these days are known to be days that invite money. It’s believed that people are more likely to welcome more money into their lives these days.
Take a chance to win unimaginable rewards!
Next time you play lottery games, choose your lottery game based on your odds of winning and use the tips on increasing your chances of hitting the jackpot. Begin with our lottery games here at XO Lotto! Pick from the world’s best lotteries for a chance to win huge jackpots.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to win the lottery?
One of the most popular strategies players use is buying several tickets. Realistically, this is the only way you can increase your chances of winning. Just remember to balance your ticket purchasing within your budget.
Do different lottery games have different odds?
Yes, different lottery games have different odds. For example, the US Powerball and the US MegaMillions have odds of 1:292,201,338 and 1:302,573,350, respectively.
How are the odds of winning calculated in lotteries?
To calculate the odds of winning the lottery, you’d have to divide the number of winning lottery numbers by the total number of possible lottery numbers.
