Did you know that in August they were more than a dozen people who won the grand prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery? If you’ve ever fantasized about winning the lottery, then there’s a good chance you know about the popular facts behind the concept.
Are you wondering about some of the things most people don’t know? Keep reading to learn all about the most interesting yet least known facts about the lottery.
1. Math Can Help You Win
When it comes to lottery facts, you may be surprised to know that Joan R. Ginther won the lottery not once, not twice, but a total of four times. This wasn’t blind luck, however.
Ginther is a professor at Stanford specializing in mathematics. Despite the near-impossible odds of winning the lottery even once, he used his super-smart math brain to figure out the lotto algorithms.
2. A Lotto Card Turned Into the Biggest Tip
Have you ever tipped your bartender with anything but cash? It might be hard to believe, but one patron in Oregan tipped their bartender with two lotto tickets. One of the tickets turned out to be worth almost $18,000.
Despite trying to return the ticket, the customer insisted that the bartender keep it. This certainly goes down in history as one of the largest tips ever handed out.
3. Winners Are Too Generous
After someone gets their lottery winnings, they often feel like a million bucks because that’s exactly what they have, if not more. However, a lot of lotto winners end up being way too generous with their money.
While it’s great to help out friends and family members, even a huge jackpot will disappear if you don’t spend it wisely. This is why it’s always best to get in touch with a financial advisor after winning the state lottery.
4. An Overcrowded Second Place
You may find it strange to hear that the second-place prize for the Powerball ended up being won by a whopping 110 people in 2005. The good news is that the prize was so large that most people received $100,000. While not as great as the full jackpot, it can still go a long way toward buying a home, for instance.
What’s even better is that over 21 people received half a million dollars each because they had Power Play selections.
5. An Anonymous Majority
Did you know that most lotto winners prefer to be anonymous rather than having their names posted across a bunch of news outlets? When there’s so much money involved, it’s not hard to see how wise of a decision this can turn out to be.
While it can fun to brag about how wealthy you are, it can also make you a target for criminals and needy friends and family members.
6. Lotto Winners Want to Win More
You may think that people would end on a high note after winning the national lottery. However, a majority of lotto winners continue to play the lottery even after they’ve cashed in a jackpot.
Since they were lucky once, a lot of them believe that it’s only a matter of time before that luck rolls around again. If they have a bunch to spend, then getting lotto tickets on a regular basis would be a drop in the bucket anyway.
7. Ancient Lotto
The lottery may seem like a modern concept but the first lotto in recorded history dates all the way back to around 200 BCE. Since this occurred in ancient China, some theorists believed the lotteries were held in order to help fund huge construction projects.
Looking at it that way, we wouldn’t have had the Great Wall of China without funds from lotteries, for instance.
8. Wheels Upon Wheels
On average, people who have won the lottery end up owning about 5 cars. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have 5 different vehicles in the garage. This is because some lotto winners buy cars in their names but then give them to family members or friends in need.
Some lotto winners have around 10 cars, which means they either know a lot of needy people or their garage is stuffed to the gills.
9. Dumpster Diving
You may be shocked to learn that there are some dedicated people out there who dig through dumpsters hoping to find winning lotto tickets. What’s even crazier is that sometimes they do find winning tickets that they cash in.
If you ever lose your job, then perhaps you can start going from dumpster to dumpster in search of moola.
10. To Quit or Not to Quit
Many people fantasize about sticking it to their bosses and walking away with newfound freedom. While about half of the lottery winners do leave their jobs, the other half stay.
Perhaps the people who stay at their old jobs enjoy them. After all, it’s important to love what you do and do what you love.
11. Going Public Is Required
While most winners of the lotto remain anonymous, that’s only in states where they have that option. In fact, most states require you to go public, such as Wisconsin and California.
If you cherish your privacy, then it might be time to move to a state like South Carolina or Ohio.
Are You Ready to Win the Lottery?
Now that you’ve learned all about the most interesting yet least known facts about the lottery, you can try your hand at winning a massive jackpot. After all, the American Dream is about living not only comfortably but lavishly too. A lotto win can allow you to fulfill your wildest dreams.
Scratch Smarter is here to help you make your visions into a reality. Besides luck, there’s a lot of math behind winning the lottery. If you play your cards right, you can boost your chances of success.
With this in mind, we developed detailed analytics that can help you play smart rather than spraying and praying. We can even give you updates on a weekly basis so that you’re always informed. We’re proud to be able to offer our services across 40 different states in America.