Chapter 1 : Most Common Winning Lottery Numbers Are Not The Best Numbers In the event of a discrepancy between the information displayed on this website concerning winning numbers and prize payouts and the information in the official records maintained by the New York Lottery's Drawing Unit, the records maintained by the Drawing Unit shall prevail. A number of variables can affect game sales, such as seasonality or a big Mega Millions jackpot. Traditionally, game sales are stronger for a Saturday drawing versus a Wednesday drawing. The annuity factor, or the cost to fund an annuity prize, is another key component. The annuity factor is made up of interest rates for securities purchased to fund prize payments. The higher the interest rates, the higher the advertised Grand Prize. You might not realize that an economic reality like interest rates impact even the Powerball jackpot, but they do! Are you sure your odds are right? Most players think the odds of matching the Powerball to win a prize are 1 in 26, since the Powerball is drawn from a field of numbers from 1 to But consider thisâ The odds of matching the Powerball ALONE are harder than 1 in 26, because there is also the chance you could match one or more white balls, in addition to the Powerball, to win another prize. How late can I purchase Powerball tickets? Sales cut-off times vary by one to two hours before the drawings on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, depending on the selling jurisdiction. Can I purchase Powerball tickets over the Internet? The sale of Powerball tickets over the Internet or by mail across jurisdictional borders is restricted. Lotteries may refuse to pay out prize money on Powerball tickets purchased on any website other than their own. Please contact your lottery with any further questions. Do you have to be a U. You do not have to be a U. Players from jurisdictions where Powerball tickets are not sold, either in the United States or outside the country, can purchase Powerball tickets from a retailer licensed or authorized by the selling jurisdiction, if they meet the legal age requirement in the jurisdiction of purchase. Federal and jurisdictional income taxes may apply to any claimed prize money. When is the 10X multiplier in play? Do I have to match the numbers in the exact order drawn? You can match the white ball numbers in any order of a given play to win a prize. The red Powerball number of a given play on your ticket must match the red Powerball drawn. Each play on a ticket is separately determined; players cannot crisscross play lines on a ticket or combine numbers from other tickets. How can I claim my prize? Prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased. How long do I have to claim my prize? Ticket expiration dates vary from 90 days to one year, depending on the selling jurisdiction. The expiration date is often listed on the back of your ticket. If the expiration date is not listed, check with your lottery. What happens to unclaimed prizes? Unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery jurisdiction. If a Grand Prize goes unclaimed, the money must be returned to all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run. Can Powerball winners remain anonymous? Every jurisdiction has its own law on winners remaining anonymous. Other jurisdictions allow winners to create trusts to shield their names from the public, or otherwise claim prizes anonymously. Check with your lottery to see if taking a photo of the winner is required and what its rules are on prize claims. Even if you keep your identity secret from the media and the public, you will have to be known to the lottery so officials can confirm you are eligible to play and win, as well as other legal requirements. What is the difference between the annuity and cash value option? A Powerball jackpot winner may choose to receive their prize in 30 payments over 29 years or a lump-sum payment. The cash value option, in general, is the amount of money required to be in the jackpot prize pool, on the day of the drawing, to fund the estimated jackpot annuity prize. The advertised jackpot annuity and cash value are estimates until ticket sales are final, and for the annuity, until the Multi-State Lottery Association takes bids on the purchase of securities. Federal and jurisdictional income taxes apply to both jackpot prize options. Check with your lottery for its rules on how to claim a jackpot prize and the correct procedure for selecting the annuity or cash value option. What happens to an annuitized prize if the winner dies? Other provisions may also apply depending on the laws of the lottery paying the prize. I got an email asking me to send money to collect a Powerball prize. In addition, lotteries will never ask you to pay Page 1
a fee to collect a Powerball prize. If you are asked to pay a fee to claim a prize, you are likely being scammed, and you should not share any personal or banking information with those entities. Is Powerball giving away prize money on Facebook? In the past, Facebook users have reported notices that indicate Powerball is giving away prize money on Facebook. These notices are false and fraudulent. Lotteries do not contact prize winners through Facebook, unless you specifically entered an official lottery promotion or contest. Page 2
Chapter 2 : Mega Millions MA State Lottery Official site for California Lottery Information Collection, Use and Access Notice We collect and use the information provided to us (on this form, via a web page, via a web application or by email) in order to ensure the integrity of our promotions and games and provide advice, information, services, and assistance. First off, let me show you this message that I received from one lotto player: Please help me improve my chances in the lotto. Will picking numbers that appear more frequently help me hit the jackpot? I hope you could help me and thank you for your time. If you are following my study in the field of probability theory, you will understand that the lottery follows certain immutable laws. The LLN explains why choosing to play the most common winning lottery numbers is such a bad idea. What is the Law of Large Numbers? There are many ways to explain the Law of Large Numbers. The most straightforward explanation comes from Probabilitycourse. It states that if you repeat an experiment independently a large number of times and average the result, what you obtain should be close to the expected value. As the number of experiments increases, the actual ratio of outcomes will converge on the theoretical, or expected, ratio of outcomes. However, if you repeat the process one thousand times, you will see that the head and the tail exhibit the same probability. In the lottery, this means that given enough number of draws, each ball in the number field exhibits the same probability. However, the LLN states that as the number of draws takes place to infinity the frequencies of all balls in the number field will tend to even out. It means that those less frequently appearing numbers in the initial draws eventually catch up as the draw continues to take place. I have been studying the lottery since, and this theorem has been consistently happening. Back to hot numbers and cold numbers. Earlier I explained that the Law of Large Numbers states that the frequency of each number will converge in the same theoretical probability as the lotto draws take place to infinity. In other words, those numbers on the cold side will eventually catch up soon as the number of draws progresses. This event must happen in order to let those numbers on the cold side even out. What is the probability that these numbers will occur in the next lottery draw? Page 3
Chapter 3 : Arizona (AZ) Lottery Results Lottery Post For instance, the number 1 is a good number to choose because often, more than 60% of the time, the number 1 is part of the winning delta numbers included in the series. However, feel free to choose another low number that you feel good about such as 3 or 5 There is no exact science. Present your completed bet slip to your Lottery Sales agent for processing. You will receive a ticket. Under unusual conditions, fixed prizes may be reduced according to the rules and regulations. All cash prizes must be claimed within one 1 year following the draw date. Your ticket is a bearer instrument. Unless signed by owner, prize may be claimed by anyone in possession of winning ticket. Bettors agree to abide by Lottery Commission rules and regulations. Applicable rules are available for inspection by bettors by contacting the Lottery Commission at 60 Columbian Street, Braintree, MA The cost of your wager will double. If you purchase the additional BONUS play for a drawing and win, you may multiply your winnings if a multiplier number 3, 4, 5 or 10 is drawn. The overall odds of having a multiplier number 3, 4, 5 or 10 are 1: The drawings take place approximately 4 minutes apart. The Lottery will select twenty 20 numbers out of a field of eighty 80 numbers ranging from number one 1 to number eighty A computer driven random number generator will select the winning numbers for each drawing. There are two computer systems involved in a Keno drawing. The primary computer takes all bets. Attached to this main computer is a random number generator that is constantly shuffling 80 numbers around. Once the betting is closed, the primary computer asks the random number generator for 20 numbers. At that moment, the primary computer knows the 20 winning numbers and graphically displays them on the Keno monitors at agent locations. The random number generator is independent of the primary computer and has no way of determining which bets the primary computer accepts. The sole purpose of this generator is to continuously shuffle numbers and provide the primary computer with a set of winning numbers when asked. Page 4
Chapter 4 : Mega Millions Winning Numbers Details powerball winning numbers Powerball gives players a chance to win one of nine different cash prizes, including a multimillion-dollar jackpot. Prizes must be claimed within days after the drawing date on which the prize was won. Choose five numbers from 1 through 69 and one Powerball number from 1 through The Drawing Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 9: Make sure you buy your tickets for each Powerball drawing by 9 p. Tickets purchased after 9 p. During the drawing, a Power Play multiplier is randomly selected from a weighted field of two 5s, three 4s, thirteen 3s and twenty-four 2s. How Multidraw Works Save time with multidraw by playing your numbers for multiple drawings. You can play 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or 20 consecutive drawings. The advertised Powerball jackpot represents an estimate of the annuity amount, which is paid in 30 graduated installments, with the first paid at the time the prize is claimed. There is also a cash prize payment option equal to the jackpot prize pool. Jackpot prizes are pari-mutuel and are divided equally among all jackpot-winning tickets. Jackpot prizes are available for payment after the 15th calendar day following the drawing, and winners have 60 days from the date of claim to decide on a payment option. Ways to Play Playslip. In blue or black ink, fill out a playslip with your numbers and game options. You may play up to five sets of numbers on each playslip. This option is best when you want to choose your own numbers. Be sure to check your playslip carefully. Powerball tickets cannot be cancelled. If you want a Quick Pick, tell the clerk. You can play up to 10 Quick Picks on one ticket. Be sure to note whether you want to add Power Play or multidraw when placing your order. Chapter 5 : Winning Numbers - Powerball Tennessee Lottery See, when you play the lottery based on the most common winning lottery numbers, there is no assurance that you are playing the best pattern. Same holds true for the least appearing numbers. In fact, you may accidentally play numbers that follow the pattern with the worst probability. Chapter 6 : Powerball Powerball Select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls; then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball. Choose your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers. Jackpots start at $40 million and grow from there! Players win a prize by matching one of the 9 Ways to Win. Chapter 7 : Colorado Lottery Must be 18 to buy. Jackpot prize is estimated annuitized and will be divided equally among all winning tickets. Prizes equal 50% of overall sales. Overall odds of winning 1 in Odds of winning jackpot prize 1 in million. Chapter 8 : Winning Numbers You can play Numbers in various different ways, with each play type offering its own methods of winning. You can find out exactly what each play type means below, as well as the odds and prizes on offer for each. Straight. The goal of a straight play is to match the winning numbers in the exact order they are drawn. For example, if the winning line is, you only win a prize if your chosen numbers are 6, 7, and 8, in that order. Chapter 9 : Keno MA State Lottery Page 5
Join players from across the country to win multimillion-dollar jackpots - plus eight other prize levels - every Wednesday & Saturday. Choose five numbers from 1 through 69 and one Powerball number from 1 through You can pick your own numbers or let the Lottery's computer randomly Quick Pick them - for either or both sets of numbers. Page 6