German Statistics Professor Proposes System to Improve Lottery Winning Chances

^{Pictured: Christian Hesse, a German professor of statistics}

A statistics professor from Germany, Christian Hesse, has proposed a lottery number selection system that could increase the chances of small and medium-sized wins, the Daily Star reported.

Hesse said many lottery participants choose numbers based on personal associations, such as “lucky” digits, birthdays or other memorable dates. In his view, a more rational approach is to select combinations using statistical principles.

The proposed strategy involves using several fixed numbers that are repeated across multiple ticket combinations, while the remaining numbers vary.

As an example, Hesse referred to the “6 out of 49” lottery format, in which players select six numbers from a range of 1 to 49. Under his system, four “base” numbers are chosen first and repeated in every combination.

The professor recommends selecting base numbers above 31. This is because many players choose numbers linked to dates — such as birthdays — which typically fall between 1 and 31.

Choosing numbers above 31, he said, reduces the likelihood that a prize will have to be shared with a large number of other winners.

Two additional numbers are then added to each ticket. These numbers change from one ticket to another in order to cover different combinations from the remaining range. In this way, players test multiple number pairings and cover a significant portion of possible combinations.

For example, if the base numbers are 35, 37, 41 and 44, ticket combinations could look as follows:

• 35, 37, 41, 44 + 1, 2
• 35, 37, 41, 44 + 3, 4
• 35, 37, 41, 44 + 5, 6
• 35, 37, 41, 44 + 7, 8

Hesse stressed that the system does not increase the probability of winning the jackpot.

Instead, the approach is intended to improve the chances of smaller and medium-sized prizes and potentially increase total payouts if ticket combinations come close to the winning numbers.

At the same time, the strategy typically requires purchasing a large number of tickets or participating in a lottery syndicate*.

Earlier, Gambling Park cited a financial adviser who said the probability of a major lottery win is close to zero.

* A group of people who jointly purchase lottery tickets and share any winnings if their tickets are successful.