If you’ve ever played the lottery, you know that there is no real science behind picking winning numbers. In fact, there is no way to increase your odds of winning beyond buying a lot of tickets. Each drawing is an independent event, meaning that nothing from the past or future influences the outcome. That’s why it can be a good idea to choose your numbers wisely, and to repeat the same ones over time. But there are other ways to maximize your chances of winning, says mathematician Stefan Mandel. He has won the lottery 14 times, and shared his secret with CBS MoneyWatch.
Mandel has discovered a simple rule of thumb to follow when choosing your lottery numbers: Don’t use birthdays or other personal digits. Instead, opt for numbers that have more digits or letters. “These numbers tend to have a higher frequency,” he explains. “The more digits and letters, the greater the number’s chance of being in the winning combination.”
The first recorded European lotteries that sold tickets with prize amounts in cash came about in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders. The prizes were used to raise funds for town defenses and help the poor. Francis I of France introduced the lottery to his kingdom in an attempt to improve state finances.
In the United States, the lotteries are operated by each state and the District of Columbia. But they often form consortiums to jointly run games spanning larger geographical footprints and carry higher jackpots. The games have become a fixture in American culture. Americans spent upward of $100 billion on them in 2021, making it the most popular form of gambling in the country. But it’s important to understand that the game is not without its costs, especially for low-income people.