Things to avoid when playing lotto
The best strategy when playing any kind of lottery is to play smartly. The odds of winning are quite small, so keeping this in mind is the best advice you can rely on when playing. However, there are still quite a few tips we advise adhering to in order to play to the best of your ability; we take a look at some of the things to avoid when playing lotto.
About Australia’s lotto
Lotteries in Australia are run predominantly by the Tatts Group, with individual States running lotteries that are both state-specific and nationwide.
- Monday and Wednesday Lotto (X Lotto in SA)
- TattsLotto (also known as Gold Lotto in QLD, Saturday Lotto in NSW, and Saturday X Lotto in SA)
- Oz Lotto
- Powerball
- The Pools
- Super 66
- Lotto Strike (NSW only)
You can read more about these lotteries by visiting our State-specific pages on the site:
Avoid scams
This advice seems quite simple, but in actual fact many people go out of their way to trick vulnerable players into thinking that they can buy winning systems. It can be very easy to believe someone has a winning formula when they have a website and some ‘testimonials’.
However, there is no such thing as a winning system, only the one that is drawn by chance which no one, no matter how much they may be preaching it works, can predict. These are just scams and if you buy them you will end up wasting your money.
So if you see websites stating they have the winning formula – even if there are ‘testimonials’ – avoid these at all costs.
Avoid syndicates if members won’t draw up a contract
We all have heard of the man, Gary Baron, who was in a syndicate for a lottery that he won but claimed it was with a ticket he purchased on his own, not with the group.
To avoid something like this happening with you when you enter a syndicate ensure you draw up a contract stating either you can’t purchase individual tickets or you must make them public prior to the lottery so everyone can be clear on which ticket is the winning ticket if it does win.
If any member opposes the contract, simply avoid doing a syndicate and purchasing a ticket with them.
Avoid system entries
Many people think since system entries have the appealing feature that they cover up to 20 numbers in a single panel they are covering almost half of the possible combinations, but this is actually a misconception.
In actual fact a system entry can cost quite a lot and only cover a small amount of the millions of possible combinations. So while it seems like spending more to cover more numbers is worth it, in actual fact it only gives you a minor statistical advantage, so it really isn’t as good as it seems.
Don’t spend more than you can afford
Just because the prize pool has reached an incredible amount doesn’t mean you should go overboard and buy more tickets than you can actually afford. If you don’t win and have spent more than you budgeted for you will end up in debt.
Don’t try to rationalise it because of how much you could win, as there is still a very slim chance you will win regardless if you have purchased a lot of tickets.
Don’t purchase a physical ticket if you are prone to losing it
If you are likely to misplace a ticket we recommend buying your ticket or tickets online. This will keep your numbers in a safe place and it will also tell you within 24 hours if you have won or not electronically, so you don’t have to go in and get your ticket checked.
Purchasing your numbers online also prevents anyone from stealing your ticket.
Avoid checking your ticket yourself
If you have purchased a physical ticket, avoid checking the numbers yourself and relying on this. You can try and match up the numbers but if you have played a large number of games it can be hard to match them up. Simply wait until you can take it into your local outlet and get it scanned so you can confirm if you have won or not, and not get your hopes up or throw away a winning ticket.
Avoid using birthdays and anniversaries as numbers
While you don’t have to avoid doing this, it is a good recommendation. If you only use birthdays and anniversaries you will only be using numbers from 1 to 31. If you are playing with numbers out of 45 you are missing out on 14 more numbers, decreasing your chances of winning even more.
While it is fun to include special numbers, don’t rely solely on these numbers as leaving the high ones out may cost you.