The National Lottery. Nobody looks at the odds.
In 2015 the lottery made the jackpot three times harder to win. Three months later, twice as many people were buying a ticket.
THE GIST ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY: "National Lottery Odds"
What did the lottery change?
In 2015, the National Lottery made it three times harder to win the jackpot. The odds went from one in 14 million to one in 45 million. They called it an enhancement. Three months later, twice as many people as usual were buying a ticket.
Because nobody looks at the odds. They look at the number.
How did it work?
The change was simple. They put ten more balls in the machine, from 49 to 59, and took the rollover limit off so it doesn't stop until someone wins.
The irony is that both of these make the odds worse, but they make the jackpot on the screen look much bigger, because the jackpot is made of losing tickets. In January 2016, after 14 draws with no winner, it hit £66 million, the biggest ever. About 14 million people bought a ticket, double a normal week, and the website crashed.
Did America copy it?
In a strange turn of events, America copied us. Powerball jackpots went from one in 175 million to one in 292 million. But your chance of winning something small got better, from one in 32 to one in 25. So you win more often, but the big win moves further away.
Why do long odds sell?
We have the long odds backwards. We assume that the worse the chance, the fewer people bother. It's the inverse. Rare winners are enormous winners, and enormous winners are the advert.
Which is why the hardest things to succeed at have the longest queues: acting, football, music, social media. Nobody's hiding the odds. The odds are why you're interested.
Do you play the lottery?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
What did the lottery change in 2015?
It added ten balls, from 49 to 59, and removed the rollover limit. Jackpot odds went from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.
What happened to ticket sales?
In January 2016 a £66 million jackpot, the biggest ever, led about 14 million people to buy a ticket, twice a normal week, and the website crashed.
Why do long odds attract people?
Rare winners are enormous winners, and enormous winners are the advert.
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