Winning lottery strategies that work time and time again have actually been obtained by the few and far between lottery player. As elusive as the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot, successful lottery playing strategies and number picking systems are probably even rarer than those two seldom seen and never proven monsters. Why is that? It is because lotteries are entirely random. And even though a massively popular lottery like Powerball guarantees at least $40 million to a jackpot winner, and frequently delivers well over $100 million as the grand prize, the odds of hitting are very much against you. On average, you have a 1 in 175,223,510 (one in 175 million) chance of picking the correct 6 numbers. Wow. Similar odds are proportionally associated with most of the big USA lotteries and International lottery games.

The Powerball lottery is one of the most popular and one of the most played lotteries in the world and is offered by 45 states and territories. It offers incredibly massive paydays on a frequent basis, consistently creating overnight millionaires. But you have to choose the correct 5 out of a possible 59 white numbered balls, as well as 1 out of 35 possible Powerballs and match all 6 to take home the grand prize. Are there any proven lottery strategies that will help you when picking lottery numbers? Scientists and mathematicians say no, but it also depends on who you talk to. Richard Lustig says he knows how to drastically improve your chances at consistently winning when playing the lottery, and he has developed a couple of lottery strategies that work for him. After all, the former singer and drummer from Orlando, Florida has won more than $1 million (documented and proven) playing the lottery.

He has won substantial jackpots on seven different occasions, and was happy to reveal the basis of what he calls “the winning lottery method” that he uses everyday. He says that too many people look at the lottery as a fun pastime, when they should treat it “like any investment.” For instance, if the typical lottery player buys a one dollar ticket in some particular lottery and wins $10, they usually stick that $10 in their pocket and count this as a win. However, Lustig says that the right move for him is to then buy $11 worth of tickets, because this has increased your ticket buying power 11 times over your original purchase. What happens if you lose? You are still only down one dollar out-of-pocket, your original lottery ticket investment, but you now have 11 chances to win.

Lustig used that system to win $98,000 in Florida’s Fantasy 5 game once, and still uses that system. Also, Lustig puts in several hours each and every day before deciding how he is going to play a particular lottery. His lottery strategies are based on researching previous numbers played, popular trends and numbers which have not shown up for a while, and studying other information that is usually available on Internet sites that allow players to buy lottery tickets online. And he generally plays only 3 to 6 times a year, preferring to buy large numbers of tickets in a single lottery, rather than spreading those purchases out over a 52 week period and watering down his possibility of winning.

Then there are also people who use “signs” when picking lottery numbers. If they see a bunch of 7s throughout their normal routine in a short period of time, you can bet they will be adding the number 7 to their next lottery purchase. And lottery strategies that work for some people involve using birthdays from family members, and picking lottery numbers for others mean using random number generators and playing different numbers each week. Whatever lottery strategies you decide to use, make sure you do any research needed to improve your odds. Never throw your tickets away, always check them twice, and, as multiple jackpot winner Richard Lustig says, “Don’t spend more than you can afford.” That last tip is definitely a winning lottery strategy, one that will keep you out of the poor house, and will never have you regretting your lottery ticket purchases.