How to Win the Lottery
The lottery is one of the most popular forms of gambling, with state-sponsored games in many states and countries. People spend upwards of $100 billion on tickets every year, and while that might not sound like a lot to the average person, it does add up quickly.
What’s more, state lotteries are dangling the promise of instant riches in an age of inequality and limited social mobility. So what is it about this game that draws so many people in?
In the first place, there’s this inextricable human impulse to gamble. The fact is, there’s nothing quite like a little risk for the possibility of a big reward. That’s why people line up for gas station lotteries and buy those scratch-off tickets at the grocery store.
Public lotteries go back centuries, and they were used in America to raise funds for everything from public buildings to colleges. Alexander Hamilton wrote in 1776 that “every man, however poor he is, will be willing to hazard a trifling sum for the chance of considerable gain.”
But what does it take to win? And can you increase your chances by choosing certain numbers or repeating the same ones over and over again? We talked to experts to find out.
Harvard statistics professor Mark Glickman says you’re better off sticking with random numbers rather than picking birthdays or other personal numbers. He also warns against selecting numbers that end with the same digit or using sequential numbers like 1-2-3-4-5-6, because they have more of a pattern to them.