The national lottery is a good way of disposing of unwanted cash, since the chances of getting a significant return are tiny. Most people who play the lottery choose to dispose of a small amount of cash each week. There is a way however to improve your chances of winning from tiny to almost-but-not-quite-so-tiny.

Make no mistake; this method will almost certainly dispose of a vast amount of your hard earned cash in one foul swoop.

The Method

This method really only works for those who are already playing the lottery on a regular basis. Lets say you buy one ticket every week. Every week the chances of winning the Jackpot are 14 million to 1, hence every week you lose a pound¹, well almost every week, occasionally you'll pick up one of the minor prizes. Now if you were to buy two lines your chances of winning would be 7 million to 1. Obvious. So the more lines you buy the greater your chance on winning. Again obvious. If you bought 14 million lines you'd be certain to win, although you would have spent millions more than you would win.

So is there a way to increase the odds without spending more money? Well yes actually. The idea is to calculate how much you would spend on the lottery in your lifetime. Put the whole lot on in one week and win or lose never, but never play the lottery again.

Using the example of a pound a week, say 50 pounds a year (keeps the maths simple) You are going to play the lottery from age 20 to age 70, 50 years. That’s 50x50 = £2500 spent on the lottery in a lifetime. If you spend the whole lot in one go the odds of winning go from 14 million to one to 5,600 to 1. These are much better odd, although, and it can’t be emphasised enough, you will still probably lose.

Drawbacks

Of course you have got to have, and be able to afford to lose, the two and a half thousand pounds in the first place. Of course you have to be pretty unlucky not to pick up a few minor prizes. These will knock a few hundred on the bill, but unless you are lucky enough to get at least a 5 ball, which is still 21.6:1 against, you will make a net loss around £2000. As already stated win or lose you must not play the lottery again, otherwise you’ve only increase the odds by spending more, which was not the object of the exercise.

Advantage

Another big advantage, and this is really the point of this method, is that it brings forward the winning date. On the week by week method, if you win, it could be at any time during your lifetime, it may be near the end and not much use. On average it will be in the middle, but with the all at once method if you win, you will win it now, and have your whole life to enjoy it.