Lottery

ste1200

Really not sure which category to post this in.

With the new £2.00 lotto coming in, I wondered which is the best lottery to play to give you the best chance of winning ?

I've tried Lotto, Health Lottery, Thunderball & Euromillions. I don't put a great deal on, but as it is something I regularly play, I want to know which has the best odds.

Thanks
Ste

redpete

It depends whether you are interested in just the big wins or the overall odds of winning something. A quick google tells me:

Game........./ Default Jackpot / Odds of Jackpot. / Overall Odds / smallest / Odds for smallest
EuroMillions./ €15 million....... / 1 in 116,531,800 / 1 in 13........ / £3....... / 1 in 23
Lotto........./ £2.2 million +... / 1 in 13,983,816.. / 1 in 54....... / £10...... / 1 in 57
Thunderball./ £500,000........ / 1 in 8,060,598... / 1 in 13....... / £5........ / 1 in 14
Health......../ £100,000........ / 1 in 2,118,760... / 1 in 209..... / £20....... / 1 in 214

So you can decide where best to lose your money.

Coopdivi

What made you choose this board?

ste1200

Is the Irish lottery worth a shot ?

redpete

You've still not said if it's the big prize you are interested in or choosing the one that you will lose least on over time.

The Irish jackpot odds are 1 in 1 in 8,145,060 (google again).

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

redpete wrote: »

so you can decide where best to lose your money.

Very good! :T

oldgiraffe

Just sent email to National lottery,
"Hello,
I am dissapointed to here that you will be increasing the price of Lotto tickets.
Many pensioners like me will no doubt just revert to playing one day only instead of both Saturday and Wednesday to keep their outgoings the same. I might also just do the Euro lottery only.
Regards, David H J Mason.
A long time online customer.
--"

paddyrg

Gambling works on the basis of a 'house edge' - each bet has a proportion taken off for taxes, good causes and operator profit so the lottery's 'edge' is pretty big. So, is it better to have a single big win or lots of little ones? Seeing as you roll cash over with smaller wins, you generally lose more over time to get the same result. In short, have a punt at the lottery that offers the biggest odds, and don't roll winnings back into the system.

In the (hopefully hypothetical) system where you owe 'a bad man' £35,000 and only have £1000 to pay him, you're better off putting the whole grand on one number on the roulette board than a bit on Red and hoping to build it up. Yes you can lose it all in one go, but single games have a much lower overall house take.