Patterns in Lottery Numbers

markmcb writes "Most everyone is familiar with the concept of the lottery, i.e., random numbers are selected and people guess what they will be for a cash prize. But how random are the numbers? Matt Vea has conducted a pattern analysis of the MegaMillions lottery, which recently offered a sum of $370M (USD) to the winner. Matt shows that the lottery isn't as random as it may seem and that there are 'better' choices than others to be made when selecting numbers. From the article, 'A single dollar in MegaMillions purchases a 1 in 175,711,536 chance of landing the jackpot ... a player stands a mildly better chance of winning a partial prize through the selection of weighted numbers.'" Includes some excellent charts of his analysis.

Comments

And yet, one truth escapes the analysis

[WillAffleckUW]

Most lotteries (as opposed to raffles) have less than half the money spent by lottery ticket buyers going into the payout pool.

You're already losing by buying the ticket.

Re:And yet, one truth escapes the analysis

[gEvil (beta)]

Also, for 1 dollar a week you are buying a mild emotional high when checking the numbers and a mild emotional low when you find out that math pwned you again.

Yes, but for less than one dollar a day (that's less than the cost of a cup of coffee), you can help change a child's life. Imagine the feeling of joy you'll get when you receive a personalized card in the mail from the child you sponsor. Call the number on your screen right now to make a donation.

Re:And yet, one truth escapes the analysis

[IgLou]

Yeah but I still hate how smug math is for pwning me in the first place, even when I win! Take this unnofficial transcript between math and I.

Lou - Look Math! I won 100 bucks on the lotto!
Math - *scowling* How much did you spend on that ticket?
Lou - Well, uh 10 bucks so it's like I made $10 dollars on ever dollar I spent!
Math - *smiling evilly* Oh really? Was that the only ticket you bought this week?
Lou - Well no, but...
Math - AND... did you win on any of those tickets? How much did you spend altogether this week?
Lou - Well no but it was only another 10 so it's like I made 5 on...
Math - Please, spare me. How much have you spent this month?
Lou - Uh 80 but...
Math - and won?
Lou - with this it would be 120.
Math - Aha! You're return is more like .50 cents on the dollar!
Lou - But overall...
Math - Lies! Statistically this year you've lost more money than you gained!
Lou - It was disposable income!!
Math - How much would that have made long term investments!
Lou - I don't know!
Math - Or how much you would have saved on your mortgage!
Lou - I don't know, I don't know!
Math - Fool, now go make me a one minute egg.
Lou - Fine, right after I put some money in a stocks so we can retire.
Math - Idiot, why bother? You have a higher probability of making money on the stock market by random selection. A monkey can make money on the stock market better than you!
Lou - *sobbing uncontrollably* I hate you! I hate you!
Math - Wait till he hears about his income tax. Muhahahaha!

I may have had to improvise some parts but that's fairly accurate.

Your best bet.

[RandoX]

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.

Re:Your best bet.

[Basehart]

I picked 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42 just be on the safe side.

Re:Your best bet.

[Dusty00]

They won't let me play my lucky number: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Re:Blinded by the glamor

[Penguinshit]

There is an even higher risk of termination by not making that drive for 5 days...

How I got Lucky in a Government Lottery

[billstewart]

I've only participated in one government lottery.
I didn't win the green suit, M-16 rifle, and two-year all-expenses-paid vacation to exciting tropical Vietnam, or the grand prize magic bullet with my name on it, and since my number was high enough to get classified as 1-H, I didn't even win the third-prize government-health-care physical exam. Haven't bought another ticket from those bastards since then.