I have no idea whether this is true but I was once told that if you were transported to a town you didn't know and walked up to a random person in the street, you'd have more chance of correctly guessing their 'phone number than you would of winning the lottery jackpot. That explains why you are just flushing money down the bog by buying a lottery ticket.
I have no idea whether this is true but I was once told that if you were transported to a town you didn't know and walked up to a random person in the street, you'd have more chance of correctly guessing their 'phone number than you would of winning the lottery jackpot. That explains why you are just flushing money down the bog by buying a lottery ticket.
Can't be true. Assuming a phone number has area code of 5 digits and personal number of 6 digits that's 100 billion to one. Even if you assume it starts 01, that's still a billion to one. Lottery jackpot is about 14m to one, so approx 70 times more likely.
A chap I used to work with was sure that he would win the lottery jackpot. He never bought a ticket, convinced that he would find the lucky ticket in the street. He stands about as much chance as the rest of us
He doesn't as finding a winning ticket does entitle you the winnings. To claim any significant amount you need not only the ticket but to also be able to state where and when you bought it.
He actually stands as much chance as the rest of us divided by the probability of him finding a lottery ticket in the street divided by the probability of deceiving the awards panel. So the same probability to a negative factor of, oh, around 5 or 6..or -100,000,000,000,000 or thereabouts.
I know my parents still do the lottery, but only because at the beginning my mum chose birthdays, house numbers etc and now doesn't want to stop in case the following week they come up - if she had chosen 6 random numbers every week then it would be easier to stop & i'm sure there are lots of people in the same boat.
Now we've shown our friend the laws of probability let's all be realistic and admit that we know in practice that 1-2-3-4-5-6 will never happen. Once you've accepted that then you must realise that any six numbers you choose won't come up either. Get your head round that and you can stop wasting your hard earned.
Having said all that, I still do it because I think I'm a lucky person and will win the big one someday. When I do, at least I won't waste time wondering what I'm going to spend it on as I've been planning that for over 18 years!
Your basic premise is wrong. SOMEONE picks the correct six numbers most every week. What surely is the case, is that it is extremely unlikely that any six numbers chosen at random or by some mystical 'plan' will be drawn
I have no idea whether this is true but I was once told that if you were transported to a town you didn't know and walked up to a random person in the street, you'd have more chance of correctly guessing their 'phone number than you would of winning the lottery jackpot. That explains why you are just flushing money down the bog by buying a lottery ticket.
Can't be true. Assuming a phone number has area code of 5 digits and personal number of 6 digits that's 100 billion to one. Even if you assume it starts 01, that's still a billion to one. Lottery jackpot is about 14m to one, so approx 70 times more likely.
Now, you've whet my appetite! I've now found out there are about 18mn residential land lines in the UK. So, I suppose whoever worked out the comparison was cheating a bit and back when the lottery was launched I suspect there were less than 14mn residential landlines and for effect he had conveniently left out the fact that the hypothetical guesser had been given a list of those numbers to choose from. Still wouldn't buy a lottery ticket though!
I thought that the reason there was an additional raffle for euromillions IN THE UK was because we paid 2 quid and the rest of europe pays 2 euros - it's to make up for the fact that the euro is worth less than the pound. If that's the case not every country has a raffle.
He doesn't as finding a winning ticket does entitle you the winnings. To claim any significant amount you need not only the ticket but to also be able to state where and when you bought it.
Really - I thought as long as you had signed the back then you could claim it as yours.
He doesn't as finding a winning ticket does entitle you the winnings. To claim any significant amount you need not only the ticket but to also be able to state where and when you bought it.
Really - I thought as long as you had signed the back then you could claim it as yours.
No, not at all. You need to prove it's yours for big wins.
I always thought the only fixed prize value was the £10 - the rest was varied according to the size of the jackpot fund & the number of matching tickets at each level....at least that's how it was at the beginning.
Correct - the 3 numbers prize is fixed, and the remaining prizes are fixed as a percentage of the pot. Therefore if you had an occasion of 20 winners and only 1 with 5 plus bonus ball, chances are that 1 person would get a larger prize than the 'jackpot' winners.
Now we've shown our friend the laws of probability let's all be realistic and admit that we know in practice that 1-2-3-4-5-6 will never happen. Once you've accepted that then you must realise that any six numbers you choose won't come up either. Get your head round that and you can stop wasting your hard earned.
Having said all that, I still do it because I think I'm a lucky person and will win the big one someday. When I do, at least I won't waste time wondering what I'm going to spend it on as I've been planning that for over 18 years!
Your basic premise is wrong. SOMEONE picks the correct six numbers most every week. What surely is the case, is that it is extremely unlikely that any six numbers chosen at random or by some mystical 'plan' will be drawn
I don't think you understood what I said. Never mind.
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One Saturday draw, one pound a ticket.
The greedy ones are Camelot and I hope this latest change shoots them in the foot.
Therefore if you had an occasion of 20 winners and only 1 with 5 plus bonus ball, chances are that 1 person would get a larger prize than the 'jackpot' winners.
Have won a tenner about 20 times I reckon and 4 numbers that got me a measly £38.
One day...