Brits have been urged to avoid certain numbers if they want to maximise their lotto winnings. The advice follows the arrival of Powerball, the world's biggest rolling jackpot game, in the UK. Powerball has produced some of the largest lottery wins globally, including a record-breaking jackpot worth over $2.04 billion in 2022.
Expert Advice on Number Selection
Andy Carter, a senior winners' advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, shared expert tips. He said: “When it comes to picking numbers, data shows that many people don't choose them at random. Players often opt for numbers with special meaning, such as birthdays, anniversaries or even house numbers.”
Carter added: “Numbers between 1 and 31 tend to be selected more frequently. Some people like to choose one number from each decade, while others prefer a patterned sequence, such as multiples of seven or even something as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.”
Impact of Popular Combinations
Many players stick with lucky numbers for years. Carter noted: “A number of our winners have told us they played the same numbers for decades before finally striking it lucky. One syndicate from Cambridgeshire won £1 million in 2024 after playing the same set of numbers for 30 years.”
Choosing popular number combinations can reduce winnings. Because many players choose similar ranges, jackpot wins with lower numbers are more likely to be shared. Carter advised: “If you're hoping to avoid splitting a big prize, it could be worth including some higher numbers in your selection - this doesn't however change your odds of winning.”
Powerball Rules in the UK
In Powerball, the jackpot rolls over until someone matches all numbers. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. A Lucky Dip option is available. Tickets start with four lines, with options for more lines and multiple draws up to four weeks ahead. The jackpot prize is paid over 30 years.
UK rules differ slightly: players must pay £4 per line. An additional prize allows matching two main numbers for £8. The jackpot in the UK is uncapped, starting at £12 million.
