Oz Lotto $70 million jackpot: Insider reveals tips to boost your luck
There's no better way to start the new year than being a few million dollars richer.
With $70 million up for grabs, Aussies across the country are no doubt bracing for Tuesday night's mega Oz Lotto draw which is offering the biggest prize in more than four years.
And what better way to bring in the new year than with a few extra million in your pocket — especially with the cost-of-living crisis continuing to hurt households across the country.
This week's Oz Lotto draw is the second-biggest prize offered by any Australian lottery game this year, surpassed only by Powerball's $100 million jackpot in August which saw two lucky winners split the life-changing windfall.
Up to one in five Australian adults are expected to have an entry in Tuesday's draw — despite the chance of winning an Oz Lotto division one prize being roughly 1 in 62.8 million. But there are some ways to increase your chances of winning big, according to a lottery insider.
What are Oz Lotto's luckiest numbers?
To win the Oz Lotto division one prize, you must match all seven winning numbers drawn from a barrel of 47. So far this year, there have been 13 Oz Lotto division one wins across Australia that have collectively taken home more than $233 million in prize money.
The most frequently drawn winning numbers are 5, 19, 21 and 47, while the least frequently drawn are 26, 15, 25 and 2, The Lott's spokesperson Matt Hart revealed to Yahoo News Australia. But according to Professor John Croucher at Macquarie University’s Business School, "it makes no difference what numbers you choose".
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While "all numbers you choose have an equal chance of being selected," Croucher warned to stay clear of choosing patterns when selecting your numbers.
"More people choose patterns, so there will be more winners and that's divided into a prize pool," the statistician told Yahoo. "So you will get less dividend or a lower dividend than if you just pick random numbers. So try not to pick a pattern."
What ticket will increase your chances of winning?
The type of ticket you buy matters too, according to lottery officials.
"So far this year, all but one of the Oz Lotto division one winning entries have been QuickPick entries, which is where the lottery terminal does all the heavy lifting and picks the numbers for you," said Hart.
"We’ve also seen two wins by system entries, which are special types of entries that allow you to choose more numbers in a single game, giving you more chances to win." A system 8 ticket is the equivalent of eight standard games and costs $11.70.
A way to improve your chances of winning is to "buy more tickets", Croucher concluded. "If you want to increase your chances of winning the 70 million you need to buy more tickets," he said.
But they don't have to be large entries as "more than half of the Oz Lotto division one winning entries so far this year have been relatively small entries of 18 games or less," Hart revealed. "Which just goes to show, you don’t need a big entry, just an entry for the chance to win," he added.
Lottery hotspots in Australia
If you're wondering what the luckiest suburbs in Australia are, The Lott has revealed the suburbs in each state and territory that were home to the outlets that sold the most division one winning entries across all lotto products this year.
Queensland — postcode 4211 for Nerang/Pacific Pines sold three division one winning entries.
NSW and ACT — postcode 2530 for Dapto sold four division one winning entries.
Victoria — the postcodes 3000 for Melbourne, 3754 for Doreen/Mernda, and 3047 for Broadmeadows/Dallas each sold three division one winning entries.
Tasmania— the postcode 7018 for Howrah sold two division one winning entries.
South Australia — the postcode 5095 for Mawson Lakes sold two division one winning entries.
Northern Territory — the postcode 0839 for Coolalinga delivered two division one prizes.
Western Australia — the postcode 6163 for Spearwood sold three division one winning entries.
And finally, Hart shared his biggest tip ahead of Tuesday's Oz Lotto draw. "My big tip is to grab an entry and register that entry to a player card or online account. That means I can call you straight after the draw if you win division one. It’s a call you won’t want to miss!" he said.
If gambling is a problem for you, go to Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858.
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