Over one-third of people in the United States believe that the lottery is their only chance at a comfortable retirement.
But, how do you optimize your chances of winning the lottery? And how do you minimize silly errors?
Read on to learn about the most common lottery mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Sticking With One Lottery
Just playing one lottery over and over again isn’t a good strategy. Instead, you should use your weekly lottery budget to try your hand at a number of different lotteries. You may be picking the wrong games, too, since some have much larger jackpots than others.
Some of your options for different types of lottery games include:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- State lotteries, like the Virginia Lottery or the New York Lottery
- Lucky For Life
- Tri-State Lottery
- Lottery America
- Cash4Life
- Scratchcards
- Different varieties of Keno
- 2by2
If you’re looking for your state lottery options, you can view here for more. Just make sure that you read the lottery game rules carefully before you start buying tickets.
2. Picking The Same Number
You may have a sentimental number you always use when you’re buying lottery tickets. But, using the same number over and over again actually reduces your chance of hitting the jackpot.
That’s what makes it one of the most common mistakes when playing lottery games. Instead, you should use different numbers every time you buy a ticket.
3. Over-Spending
While playing the lottery can be fun, it’s important not to over-spend. Create a weekly lottery budget for yourself, and stick to it.
You don’t want to endanger the rest of your finances, after all. And, if you just can’t afford to buy lottery tickets, wait until you can.
4. Getting Negative
If you feel down on yourself when you’re buying lottery tickets, you’re wasting your time.
There’s something to be said about manifesting negative results, so if you’re not thinking positive thoughts, you’re just throwing money away.
5. Playing Alone
You may try and play the lottery by yourself. But, it’s actually better to pool your money and play with a group of people.
This improves your chances of winning since it allows you to buy more tickets each time. Start a club, or play with a trusted group of loved ones. You can even play with some of your coworkers, as a bonding activity.
6. You Don’t Pay Attention
There are patterns when it comes to winning lottery numbers. So, if you really want to win the lottery, look at winning lottery numbers from past jackpots.
This is especially helpful if you’re familiar with probability, so it might be a good idea to start studying before you spend all your money on numbers that are unlikely to win.
Avoid These Common Lottery Mistakes
Now that you know what common lottery mistakes are, you’ll be able to make the most out of your time playing the lottery.
Do you need more gambling advice? Scroll through some of our other helpful posts.