The Lottoland Guide to Lucky Lotto Numbers

That’s why we have trawled through the stats to show you the lotto numbers that come up the most often. Here, we explain which numbers are chosen and avoided most often. But warning! Sometimes trying to predict lottery numbers can cause you to win LESS! Read on to find out why.

Can You Predict the Lottery through Probability?

If using significant numbers is pure emotion, then using statistical probability is pure logic. Players who use probability to win the lottery look at past draws to try to predict what will come out this time. On the face of it, it’s a good idea relying on an ordered universe and the law of averages, the idea that certain numbers are due because they have not come out for a while.

A Brazilian mathematician named Renato Gianella believes it is possible to predict lotto numbers. He researched 20 lotteries and applied a range of equations statistical analyses to each. He concluded that some combinations are more likely to appear, and compiled his findings in a colour coordinated chart. He said: "(the) lottery should no longer be seen as a form of a gambling, but a true representation of the probabilistic theory and the Law of Large Numbers." This is not a workable lotto numbers predictor, as the analysis only works when applied over a long period of time.

Despite Renato's conclusion, there is still no sure-fire way of predicting this week’s numbers and picking lotto formula for us. Probability relies on order in the universe which rarely comes true. The universe does not remember numbers and the law of averages is often misinterpreted in these situations. It relies on lottery draws effectively having a “memory”. We call this “Gambler’s Fallacy”. However, it may be a tangible way of improving our odds in the long term.

Top 5 Most Common Winning Lotto Numbers NZ

For the record and before we go on, the following numbers appear most often in the New Zealand lotteries:

• 1 has appeared 317 times, which is 16.94% of draws
• 13 (considered an unlucky number) 304 times and 16.25% of the time
• 12, drawn on 301 occasions, approximately 16.09% of the time
• 19, drawn 298 times and 15.93% of the time
• 18, drawn 296 times and 15.82% of the time
   

Those are the most common winning lotto numbers, NZ edition.

Is Number 7 Really 'Lucky'?

In the UK, David and Carol Martin won one of the largest ever prizes of £33 million (approx. $64 miilion NZD). Their numbers were 26, 27, 46, 47, 52 and 58. 25 and 26, and 27 and 28, are both amongst the most frequent consecutive pairs to be drawn in the UK Lotto. 26 and 27 is not. 52 and 58 are amongst the least drawn numbers in the UK Lotto and 27 and 47 are drawn quite regularly.

Similarly the Irish Lotto’s record is €18.9 million which was claimed in 2008. The lucky lotto numbers that time were 4, 12, 26, 27, 29 and 37 plus the bonus ball, 38. None of those numbers show up in the list of six most commonly drawn balls.

In the west, we consider the number 7 as being lucky. It is 25% more likely to be chosen by lottery players yet it has never appeared in any of the biggest jackpot draws. These two facts together make it a very good reason for why you should not choose it. Every lottery ball has an equal chance of being drawn than any other, however some appear far more often. We've broken down the amount of times each ball has been drawn to see how they compared.

Luckiest Lotto Numbers in the World

We advise caution on looking at lucky numbers and assuming they have significance because they appear more in your country or in general. However, below is a list of the most and least common numbers that appear. Call them the luckiest lotto numbers in the world or just assume they appear by chance.

Euromillions
In the big European draw, numbers 50, 44, 23, 19 and 4 have appeared the most. The difference between the most drawn (50) and least drawn (46) is 49.

Powerball
The most frequent numbers are: 26, 16, 41, 32, and 28. Number 26 has been drawn 281 more times than the least common ball number 66, although that is due to the number of balls being increased recently and not because number 66 is incredibly unlucky!

Megamillions

In the MegaMillions draw, the more commonly occurring numbers are: 17, 31, 2, 39, 4 and 20. 17 and 31 have both (at time of writing) been drawn 212 times since this lottery was launched, with 17 our chosen lucky lotto number as it was drawn most recently.

Irish Lotto
The most common numbers drawn since the Irish Lotto began in 1988 are 2, 32, 9, 7, 10 and 18. (Though don't forget the Lotto has gone through many changes over the years; a lot of you might well remember it was a 36 number game when it started, but it has since gone up to 47). 

Note
These statistics have been compiled since the draws began, and as far as 'lucky' lotto numbers go, these are perhaps your best bet. Although their frequency individually does not suggest they appear together often. Also, many lottery fans scour statistics like this to choose their numbers, so a PowerBall ticket with 26, 16, 41, 32 and 28 that wins would most likely be shared out amongst a much larger number of participants.

Patterns and Systems

As long as there have been lotteries, there have been people proposing systems of predicting which numbers will be drawn. This can be in the form of patterns on the ticket – for example, choosing all the numbers form the last column, creating a heart, a cross or an initial. Again, this is similar to attempting to find meaning in numbers. Or it can be in the form of lottery systems from the multitude of books available on the subject.
Sadly, they are no more likely to be right than any other system. It’s noteworthy that they make money selling books and not playing the lottery. There has yet to be one demonstrably proven system producing effective results.

Mystical and Spiritual Approaches

Rather than assigning meaning to numbers, players use Tarot cards, psychic mediums, horoscopes and numerology, The Secret, and so on. Sometimes, people dream of numbers and then go and play them or they use numbers on a lottery ticket discovered in a deceased person’s belongings. These play on the power of the universe, harnessing some popular alternative spiritual methods.
There are many stories of lottery winners having had a dream with their numbers. We assign meaning, but it’s important to remember that we don’t hear about people dreaming of numbers who then do not go on to win.

Biggest Lottery Winners

Two of the biggest EuroMillions™ winners came from the UK. First was Colin and Christine Weir, who won €185 million (approx. $315 million NZD). Their pick: 17, 19, 38, 42 and 45, and the Lucky Stars 9 and 10 made them as rich as the Beckhams. Of their selection only 19 appears in the 10 most commonly picked numbers, although none of their choice are amongst the 10 least commonly picked numbers.
Next came Adrian and Gillian Bayford, who won the highest EuroMillions™ jackpot ever in 2012, taking home €190 million (approx. $324 million NZD). Their winning numbers were 50, 21, 17, 48 and 11, and the Lucky Star numbers 09 and 10. 

Their lucky lotto numbers selection included number 48, which is one of the least commonly drawn numbers in the EuroMillions™. Number 50 on the other hand, is the ball that appears the most in the whole lottery, featuring 128 times since launch.

It's also worth noting that both couples had the Lucky Stars numbers 9 and 10. While 9 is the joint most common Lucky Star, 10 is the 2nd least likely to appear, after 11.
The Bayfords weren't the only ones to hit the biggest possible prize on EuroMillions™ - one anonymous ticket-holder from Portugal won €190 million (though in Portugal the taxman took 20%) with the numbers 3, 9, 20, 30, and 42 plus Lucky Stars 1 and 6.  Ironically, in this instance the Portuguese winner picked NONE of the most popular numbers and still won the maximum amount available – an important point to remember! 

US Record Breakers

The biggest American single-jackpot winner was Gloria MacKenzie who scooped $590 million, also the biggest single-win jackpot in lottery history. The Florida resident's numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a winning PowerBall of 11. Of her PowerBall picks none are amongst the 15 most common numbers, including number 13, which is widely avoided by lottery regulars because it is seen as an 'unlucky' number.
This year Lisa and John Robinson were the stunned owners of one of just three winning PowerBall tickets, out of 635,103,137 sold. The $1.6 billion draw gave Lisa and John $327.8 million (which they took in the form of a one-time payment), thanks to numbers 04, 08, 19, 27, 34 and PowerBall 10.

With many lotteries two balls have a habit of turning up in the same draw, such as 4 and 23 in EuroMillions™ (21 times), but none of the big winners had that pair in their winning tickets. The table below shows some of the biggest single lottery winners from around the world, including that world-record-breaking win from the States:

Lucky Lottery Numbers
Winners	Jackpot (NZD)	Lottery	Winning Numbers
Colin and Christine Weir	$315 million	EuroMillions	17, 19, 38, 42, 45 (Bonus: 9 + 10)
Adrian and Gillian Bayford	$324 million	EuroMillions	50, 21, 17, 48, 11 (Bonus: 9 and 10)
Anon from Portugal	$324 million	EuroMillions	3, 9, 20, 30, 42 (Bonus: 1 and 6)
Gloria MacKenzie	$814 million	Powerball	10, 13, 14, 22, 52 (Bonus: 11)
Lisa and John Robinson	$452 million	Powerball	4, 8, 19, 27, 34 (Bonus: 10)
David and Carol Martin	$56 million	UK Lotto	26, 27, 46, 47, 52, 58
Syndicate from Carlow	$32 million	Irish Lotto	4, 12, 26, 27, 29, 37 (Bonus: 38)

“Lucky” Numbers?

Now we don't believe in 'lucky' numbers any more than you do. It's just interesting to see which numbers have been most commonly chosen for the different lotteries. At Lottoland we allow you to bet on lotteries but bear in mind that we are not associated with the official lotteries and aren't selling official tickets.

Do you have your own "lucky lotto numbers", or are you feeling inspired to try one of these winning combinations? Either way, there only way to be in with a chance is by placing a bet on one of Lottoland's list of lotteries. However, there is a sensible approach.