Make the most of those lotto odds

Ireland has scooped another top prize in the Euromillions draw.

One lucky punter who bought a ticket in Munster is set to rake in €250 million as the 18th Irish jackpot winner.

The news has many dreaming of what we’d do with such untold wealth – and  wondering what are their chances of winning? 

Can we improve our chances of winning a life-changing sum on the Lotto or Euromillions draws – or even ensure we get a guaranteed windfall by taking a smarter approach to building wealth?

Here’s how to beat those lottery odds:

Pick high numbers

Many people use family birthdays to pick Lotto numbers. That means many more people bet on numbers lower than 31.

Numbers above that have just as much chance of coming up – yet you’ll have fewer people to share a prize with because they’re picked less often.

Bet on high jackpot weeks

Your odds do improve as jackpots build up, especially big rollover weeks because there’s a bigger sum to share out.

Even if the number of people playing also rises, it won’t be by nearly as much proportionately as the prize fund.

For example, the National Lottery quotes odds of 130 million to one on hitting the Euromillions jackpot.

Those are terrible odds when the jackpot is €17 million as it was earlier this week.

They’re much better when the prize tops €100m – or even better at €250m.

But most people would be just as happy with either as they each represent unimaginable riches to most!

If no one had won the jackpot, the €250m prize would’ve been ‘rolled’ over for two more draws.

That would’ve made the odds even tastier by the third draw as all that lovely lolly would have to be paid out even if no-one matched seven numbers - as it ‘rolls down’ to the next prize level.

Apply for good cause funding

You don’t have to win the jackpot to benefit from the Lotto.

In 2023, the National Lottery paid out €229m to good causes in communities across Ireland – nearly 30c in every euro.

Recipients include 4500 charity and voluntary groups, sports bodies, arts and heritage organisations, youth projects and Irish language initiatives.

The Arts Council got the biggest windfall (€130.5m) with Sport Ireland next on €105m.

Special Olympics Ireland is another beneficiary, while youth organisations and services got €75.5m (sums include additional state funding)

To apply for funding for a worthy cause in the aforementioned categories you must go through the relevant State department. Details can be found on Lottery.ie. 

Beat the odds with bookies

If you want to improve your odds and can square your conscience with not contributing to any ‘good causes’ other than Paddy Power’s profits, you can get better odds with bookies.

If you poured millions into lottery bets, you’d probably get back 58% of your money (the National Lottery percentage payout of prizes in 2023).

With bookies you’d get back around 76%, at least on a single number lottery bet.

However, neither of these ratios represent a good investment – it’s like the choice of losing nearly half, or over a quarter, of your money.

Lotto odds

Odds to one	Euromillions only	Daily Million	Lotto
Any prize	13	28	29
Jackpot	139,838,160	3,262,623	10,737,573

Paddy Power Lotto odds

Number (out of 6)	Payout
1	6/1
2	60/1
3	700/1
4	7200/1
5	130,000/1

Note: you’ve a higher chance of winning lower level prizes with the Lotto as you pick six or seven numbers.

With bookies you only pick one number for a single number bet, two for two etc. However, the bookies payouts are much higher.

The real odds of winning are also about 24% higher than the bookie payout odds shown.