After winning the lottery 7 times and €1 million, he finally shares his secret technique

Is winning the lottery pure luck, or can strategy really tip the odds in your favour? Richard Lustig, an American who won the lottery an astonishing seven times, pocketing over €1 million in total, claimed his success wasn’t just chance. Before his death, he revealed the method he followed religiously — a set of practical tips he believed increased his chances of hitting the jackpot.

Avoid quick picks

One of Lustig’s firmest rules was to steer clear of computer-generated numbers. Quick picks, he argued, give you a completely new sequence every time, meaning you have no consistency and no way to build on patterns. In his words, sticking with self-chosen numbers gave him better long-term odds.

Don’t rely on birthdays

It may feel sentimental to choose dates of birth or anniversaries, but Lustig strongly advised against it. Why? Because birthdays limit you to numbers between 1 and 31, ignoring higher options and reducing your spread. Worse still, thousands of other players often pick the same numbers, which means even if you win, you may end up sharing the prize with dozens of people.

Stick with the same numbers

Consistency was another pillar of his approach. Lustig encouraged players to develop a set of “favourite numbers” and play them every draw. “It’s not individual numbers that win — it’s the combination,” he stressed. Establishing a routine, such as playing on set days, was also part of his formula.

Play smart, not desperate

Despite his success, Lustig was clear about one thing: never let the lottery control your finances. He warned against falling into what he called the “lottery fever” — spending grocery or rent money on tickets in the hope of a life-changing win. His advice was simple: set a budget and stick to it. For him, playing responsibly was just as important as winning.

Critics remain sceptical

Not everyone bought into Lustig’s strategy. Some dismissed his wins as nothing more than extraordinary fortune, noting that the lottery is ultimately a game of chance. Commenters often quipped that his success was “100% luck” and nothing more. Others tried his approach without success, pointing out that reinvesting winnings only works if you actually win in the first place.

A legacy of luck and discipline

Whether you see Lustig as a lottery mastermind or simply one of the luckiest men alive, his story remains remarkable. Seven wins and more than a million euros later, he left behind both admirers and doubters.

What his life does remind us, however, is that while luck can’t be controlled, discipline and strategy can make the game more engaging. For Richard Lustig, the combination of persistence, routine, and careful spending wasn’t just about winning money — it was about playing the long game with purpose.