Do you have any preconceived notions about the lottery? Most of us do. But, if you take the time to read the research below, you'll see that there's actually very little truth in them.
Lottery myths are merely false beliefs.
So, to help you sort myth from fact, we've addressed the four biggest lottery myths so that you can carry on playing your favourite lotteries this week.
Myth 1: You've Got More Chance of Being Struck by Lightning Than Hitting the Jackpot
You've probably encountered this one already. In fact, it's one of the most common lottery myths out there, yet it's not really true.
Take a second to consider the statistics. The US National Weather Service reports that the odds of anyone being struck by lightning are 1 in 600,000.
Okay, so at face value, it probably does seem like you have more of a chance of being struck than beating those 1 in 292-million odds of winning the Powerball jackpot.
Fortunately, the myth was debunked in 1996 by Ed Stanek, the Iowa Lottery Commissioner. He highlighted the fact that, in the previous year, over 1,000 people won a million US dollars or more in the US lotteries, compared to the 91 unlucky people struck down by lightning.
With multiple prize tiers, Powerball offers different cash amounts, and so it's not as comparable as you might initially think. You always stand to win a small amount, even if you only match a few numbers in a draw.
Another factor that is worth considering is that you can actively choose to increase or reduce your chances of being struck by lightning by either being outside during a storm for the former or inside for the latter. The Powerball draw is purely luck-based whereas being struck by lightning can be actively affected by your decisions.
Myth 2: Buying a Ticket Just Before Cut-Off Gets Your Numbers to the Top of the Pile
This is one of the strangest myths we've come across. We've heard of people who would spend each and every draw-day evening sitting in a supermarket car park. Just two minutes before the ticket sales' cut-off point, they would run into the store to purchase their lottery tickets.
Baffled? We are, too. These people seem to think that buying a ticket closer to the cut-off time means their numbers get pushed right to the top of the pile and are therefore more likely to be picked.
No. Just… no. It makes no difference when you buy your tickets for a draw - each ticket is as likely to win as the one that came before or after it.
Myth 3: Lotteries Are Designed to Prey on the Poor by Appealing to People Who Can Least Afford to Play
Really? Think about it just for a moment.
What fiscally responsible organisation would focus all its marketing efforts (and budget) on people who can't afford their product? It's just poor business sense.
Lottery products are mostly marketed in qualifying retail stores. These sites tend to be gas stations, convenience stores, and larger supermarkets. If there were zoning regulations in high-income areas prohibiting such stores, you just wouldn't see many lottery retail locations in those areas.
What's more, if there is a concentration of retail outlets in less affluent areas, you will see more lottery retail sites around those areas. While this makes it look as though lottery sales sites are chosen according to income level, this is simply not true.
Keep in mind, too, that players purchase tickets in areas where they tend to shop or work, and not always where they live. One survey in Minnesota discovered that over half of lottery players purchase tickets in areas outside of their home zip code.
And here's another thing to remember: even if lotteries wanted to bow to this myth and restrict the sale of their products in low-income areas, they would face some serious discriminatory charges from qualifying retailers who would be denied government contracts.
Myth 4: Keep Playing the Same Numbers. You're Sure to Hit the Jackpot at Some Point
If you're comfortable playing your lucky numbers week in and week out, that's great. But don't place all your hopes on those numbers eventually coming up.
Lottery numbers are always chosen at random. There's absolutely no connection as to whether or not you've played them in other draws.
In theory, you could play your numbers forever more and they might eventually hit the big time. In reality, the chances of your always-played numbers hitting the jackpot as random as everyone else's.
Our Last Drawn tool can show when each of your numbers last came out in a Powerball draw. If they appeared recently, maybe it's time to try a new number?
The takeaways here are simple: stay away from lightning, buy your ticket any time you like wherever you like, and play whatever numbers you want. It's all a game of luck.