Lotteries and math: A sort-of-winning formula

How many tickets does it take to guarantee a win? Two British mathematicians have an answer. It does come with riders, but it works.

You are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than to win the lottery, but mathematicians have now worked out a way to even those odds out, at least a little.

A minimum of 27 tickets will guarantee a win at the UK National Lottery’s flagship game, the Lotto. The rider - there's only about a 5% chance of making a profit. (Adobe Stock)

A minimum of 27 tickets will guarantee a win at the UK National Lottery’s flagship game, the Lotto, two British mathematicians have calculated.

This trick will not secure you the jackpot (which was £15 million in December), or even cover the cost of the tickets, but it