There are several methods when it comes to picking which numbers to bet in lotteries. Nowadays, as online lottery betting becomes increasingly popular, people use their spare time to look for alternatives that increase their odds. Among them, some look for the most common winning lottery numbers, hoping that they repeat themselves.

Moving forward, here we intend to demonstrate the consequences of applying that specific strategy. The winningest lottery numbers of the most popular international lotteries will help to exemplify how people use the method and if it actually works, written in a summarized and straightforward manner.

What Is the Difference Between Probability and Odds?

Before revealing the most common winning lottery numbers, identifying that difference is a must. Believe it or not, they are not as interchangeable as people may think. Probability refers to how likely an event is to occur, usually expressed in a percentage or decimal way. On the other side, odds are represented by a ratio between that event occurring and not occurring. In other words, a 25% probability equals odds of 25/75, or 1/3.

But how does that impact your choice of numbers?

In lotteries, the probability or likelihood of any given result is the same. There is no escape route from that rule. However, the odds of an all-even sequence happening are far less advantageous than those of a pattern with 3 even and 3 odd numbers. That is because there are almost 4x more combinations, giving room for different compositions.

Therefore, lottery players willing to make full use of their chances should consider that difference when choosing the hottest lottery numbers.

The Winningest and Most Common Lottery Numbers

There is no surprise in the fact that the most common winning lottery numbers differ in each lottery. Therefore, the list below identifies the most common winnings numbers in lotteries that everyone bets on. And remember, as explained above, the way how numbers are combined plays a more important role than hot numbers themselves.

The hottest numbers in Canadian lotteries are:

  • Lotto Max: 39, 19, 24, 28, 22, 30, 15, 2 (their frequency was highest since 2009)
  • Lotto 6/49: 45, 38, 22, 23, 21, 48 (their frequency was highest since 2011)

According to Lottery UK, the hottest numbers in lotteries that can be played online (by Oct 31st, 2020) are:

  • Lotto, from 1994: 40 (338), 23 (336), 38 (332), 11 (331), 35 (325), 31 (325);
  • EuroMillions, from 2004: 15 (161), 44 (156), 50 (155), 19 (154), 15 (153), 4 (150);
  • Irish Lotto, from 2015: 27 (90), 42 (85), 29 (82), 16 (82), 7 (81), 15 (80);
  • Thunderball, from 2010: 29 (255), 30 (252), 6 (246), 34 (244), 4 (244), 31 (244);
  • Powerball, from 1992: 26 (297), 23 (296), 41 (296), 32 (295), 16 (292), 42 (290).

Is Using the Most Common Winning Lottery Numbers the Best Method?

From the information gathered so far, it is clear that simply choosing the hottest numbers may not be the best choice in terms of odds. In terms of probability, 1-2-3-4-5-6 are as likely to happen as Powerball’s winningest lottery numbers in the sequence 16-23-26-32-41-42.

Although all makes sense statistically and speaking and in your guts – that feeling which makes players avoid “obvious” sequences – no method will guarantee the jackpot or any smaller prize.

What lottery players can do is invest in sequences with higher odds – even though the probability remains the same. Instead of looking for hot or cold lottery numbers, prefer to accept that the winningest pattern is unknown and will remain so until the next draw.

If choosing a determined sequence of the hottest lottery numbers is what makes a player most comfortable, that is the right decision. After all, gambling should be more about fun than anything else.