Lotto players listen up, a lottery expert has revealed the numbers Kiwis should avoid when picking for Lotto.
While the lottery is inherently based on random number selection and each number has an equal probability of being drawn, some commentators believe there is one number Kiwis should avoid at "all costs", based on recent analysis.
General manager at EmuCasino Mike Greenberg, who has analysed Lotto's Powerball data from 2023, said the most "unlucky" number to pick for entry appears to be 36.
"With only 136 occurrences, the number 36 has not been drawn since April 29 2023," Greenberg said.
Greenberg said the number 27 is the next unlucky number that would follow. Twenty-seven was last drawn on May 6, and only selected 137 in total.
He said numbers 24, 8, 28 and 14 are other numbers that closely follow.
Though Greenberg said if Kiwis want to increase their odds, the most overdue number for Lotto is 26, last drawn on March 11, as well as 1, 29, 27 and 35.
He said while lottery is a game of chance, Greenberg's analysis could "potentially improve your chance of winning".
"By identifying patterns, frequencies, and trends in winning numbers, you can make more informed decisions when selecting your numbers," he said
"One popular approach to consider is mixing 'hot' and 'cold numbers', combining both 'hot' numbers which are frequently drawn in the lottery with 'cold' numbers which are less commonly drawn, in order to potentially increase your odds."
Greenberg said the most common winning number in lottery are 19, 15, 23, 17, 24 and 22. He said the number 19 has been drawn a total of 180 times, with the last time being June 17 2023.
The potential money-winning advice comes after a Christchurch couple won a massive $33.5 million in Lotto's Powerball.
The couple, who were "overwhelmed" by the win, didn't cash in their ticket for more than a week, instead keeping it in a sock draw.
The woman, whose identity is secret, said she and her husband were "overwhelmed by the magnitude of the win" and needed time to process it before coming forward.
The couple wanted to "keep things normal" while they figured out what their next step was, so had no rush in cashing in the prize.
The Christchurch are looking forward to their future, saying the win will help them set up their family for "generations to come".
"It is also enough for us to help community causes we care about over the long term and make a lasting difference - and that is what we are focused on," the man said.
