As Australia suffers through a post-Christmas financial hangover, Lotto services have pooled their money to create the biggest draw in Australia`s history — $33 million.
Saturday Gold Lotto`s $33 million Mega Draw on December 30 has drawn hordes of would-be millionaires to newsagents across the country.
The employees at Peter Kennedy`s two newsagencies, which have sold eight first-division prizes between them, say they have been run off their feet in preparation for the draw.
"When you`ve got a chance to be part of $33 million, people jump at (it)," Peter says.
"Lines out the door, up to the back of the store — it`s crazy."
While your chances of taking home the whole kitty aren`t good, there are ways you can bolster your chances of winning.
Statistics professor Stephen Clarke, from Swinburne University, calculates the odds of winning Lotto`s first-division prize at one in eight million.
"The average Australian, even if they buy their ticket a couple of hours before the draw is made, they`ve got more chance of dying before the draw is made than they have of actually winning the first prize," Dr Clarke says.
But you do have a much better chance of scooping some of the pool and there are ways you can increase your chances of winning more money.
The professor`s top three tips for increasing your winnings are:
1. Keep away from group syndicates — that way, if you do win, you don`t have to split the prize.
2. Don`t go for expensive system entries. You get more numbers, but the odds aren`t very much greater.
3. Don`t choose popular numbers such as birthdays and anniversaries. Again, this will ensure there are fewer people to share the winnings with.
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