What would you do if you won the lottery?
If you’re one of the many who has a dream to win the lottery, then you’re probably determined to figure out how. But, before you invest all your savings or paycheck into making it big, understand your odds.
For starters, there’s no one sure-fire strategy for winning the lottery. Many strategists may lead you to believe there is, but in the end, it’s all a game of chance.
Also, your odds of winning the Megamillion Lottery is 1 in 302 million. While your odds for winning the Powerball are 1 in 292 million.
But, if you’re someone who enjoys the thrill of taking a chance, then using practical lottery-winning strategies could help you get the edge.
Want to learn how to up your chances to win the lottery? Read on to find out how.
Win the Lottery: 10 Tips to Increase Your Odds
As we purchase lottery tickets, there’s a voice in our heads that says, “what if?” This voice makes playing the lottery oh-so-appealing, but if we’re serious about having a shot at winning then we’ll need to increase our odds. Explore the following tips to learn how to increase your chances.
1. Play a Variety
If you’re serious about winning the lottery, then you’ll need to play a variety of lottery games. Instead of just playing the national lotteries, play your state’s as well as scratch-off games.
While these lottery games may not have as big of prizes, your odds of actually winning them increase significantly. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually win these lotto games either, but you’ll at least be upping your odds to see significant prize money. Even if this prize money isn’t in the millions, it still could be a substantial amount to improve your life.
2. Second Chances
Many lottos games also have second-chance opportunities. Scratch-off tickets, for example, now have the option for players to enter your non-winning tickets in a second-chance drawing.
Most state lotteries also have a second-chance drawing for non-winning tickets. Entering into these drawings increases your odds of winning prizes or even a lump sum of cash.
The bottom line is that many people simply won’t take the time to enter these second-chance drawings. So, if you take the time and effort to then you are immediately increasing your odds by competing against fewer people.
3. Double-Check
Always double check your tickets. Triple check them, in fact!
Double check your numbers in comparison to the winning numbers drawn. Make sure that the placement of your numbers also is the same as the numbers on your ticket.
Even if you didn’t win the big jackpot, there’s still a chance that two or more of your numbers match up. Although this usually won’t entail a large prize, it could mean you won $20 which could be useful in purchasing more tickets and increasing your odds for the future.
Here are the results of the South Africa Lotto.
4. Pick it Up
We’ve all seen lottery tickets laying in the parking lot of the gas station. Lying near the trash, we see these lottery tickets as a wasteland for lottery dreams that didn’t come true.
But, what if they actually did?
Pick up and review lottery tickets that have been thrown away. It’s easy for people to get distracted or misread their tickets. At the very least, you could use these tickets to enter second-chance drawings.
But, beware if you actually do find a prize-winning ticket. Money has a way of causing conflict and there’s no guarantee that the ticket-purchaser won’t find a way to cash in even though they abandoned their ticket.
5. Create a Budget
One of the most important strategies for playing the lotto is to have a budget. When you have a budget, you are able to play the lotto guilt-free and without letting go of other responsibilities. This allows you to play on a regular basis without hurting your finances.
6. Purchase Multiple Tickets
The more tickets you purchase, the higher your odds! While purchasing multiple tickets don’t guarantee a win, it certainly helps to improve your chances. Just make sure to stay within your budget.
7. Join a Lottery Pool
Lottery pools are large groups of people attempting to win the lottery through collaboration. Everyone who purchases a ticket includes it in the lottery pool. If someone in the pool wins, the members agree to split the winnings.
8. Stick with One Strategy
Sticking with one strategy won’t necessarily increase your odds, but it will help you to feel more satisfied when playing. Decide between quick picks or choosing your own numbers for example. If either of those strategies doesn’t work, then at least you’re reminded that it’s a game of chance not within your control making it more fun to play.
9. Sign It
Sign all of your lottery tickets. Even if they aren’t winners, signing it could protect your winnings if you discover later on that a ticket you threw away was actually a winner. This will also be helpful if your winning ticket is lost or stolen.
10. Protect Your Tickets
Money can influence people’s behavior in negative ways. Avoid blindly trusting the cashier, clerk, or a friend to help you with playing the lottery. Determine if you won in a private setting instead of handing over the ticket and asking the clerk to check.
To be safe, it’s also a good idea to not throw away your lottery tickets. Instead, keep them in a safe place until you know for sure they are non-winning tickets.
Win the Lottery without Breaking the Bank
If you want to win the lottery, then you’ll need to play responsibly. Playing the lottery is only fun if you know that all your bills and finances are taken care of first.
While these strategies can increase your odds, winning the lottery is never guaranteed. Try to think of the lottery as just a game and play just for the fun of it.
Looking for more ways to increase your cash flow? Check out our blog post detailing the best tech stocks to purchase in 2019.