Experts confirm no bias in EuroMillions Draws

MEDIA RELEASE

31 March 2010 Ref: 02/10

Experts confirm no bias in EuroMillions Draws

Latest research commissioned by the National Lottery Commission confirms that there is no evidence of bias in the National Lottery’s EuroMillions draws. Each number is just as likely to be drawn as another and tickets bought in the UK are just as likely to win as those bought by players in any of the other countries.

The National Lottery Commission, the Lottery’s regulator, commissioned the Centre for the Study of Gambling at the University of Salford to conduct a detailed statistical study of EuroMillions draws. Using data from the first four years, the team tested for any elements of non-randomness within the EuroMillions game or Lucky Dip selections used by UK players.

The main findings show that:

The numbers drawn for the EuroMillions game did not show any evidence of bias;

tickets bought in the UK are just as likely to win as those bought by players in any of the other countries; and

there is no statistical bias for or against tickets sold in any particular country.
Mark Harris Chief Executive of the National Lottery Commission said:

“We are here to make sure the Lottery is run fairly and welcome this independent research confirming that UK players have as fair a chance of winning EuroMillions as players in any other country and that there is no evidence of bias in the draw thanks to the measures that are in place.”

Professor David Forrest, of the Centre for the Study of Gambling at Salford University said:

“We carried out detailed statistical modelling using the data from the first four years of the EuroMillions draws and have found no statistical evidence of non-randomness in the numbers being drawn or where the winners come from.”

Other conclusions are that:

the fifty main EuroMillions draw numbers and nine Lucky Star numbers had the same likelihood of being selected;

player’s Lucky Dip selections generated by Lottery terminals did not show any unusual non-random patterns; and

the number of top prizes being won by players is as would be expected from a random draw.
Independent research is used by the Commission to ensure the required measures to ensure draws are fair and random are effective. This study is part of the Commission’s research programme which looks at randomness in National Lottery games.

To downlod the research findings from our website, click here.

ENDS

For more information contact the Commission’s Press Office on 020 7016 3430/3422 or email s.hanratty@natlotcomm.gov.uk or c.wotherspoon@natlotcomm.gov.uk

Notes for editors
1. The National Lottery Commission is the non-departmental public body set up on 1 April 1999 to regulate the National Lottery. It ensures that players are treated fairly, the Nation’s interest in the Lottery is protected and, subject to that to secure as much money as possible for good causes.
2. The National Lottery will contribute £2.175 billion towards the costs of staging the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, of which £750 million will come from designated Lottery games including Dream Number, Scratchcards and online games. At the end of December 2009, over £450 million has been raised from designated games. The National Lottery Commission publishes quarterly reports on the progress towards the £750 million target at http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/CLIENT/content.ASP?ContentId=234
3. Camelot Group Plc was awarded the third licence, which came into effect on 1 February 2009. The licence competition was structured to reinvigorate the National Lottery and generate the greatest returns to good causes. Comparing the third licence with the remainder of the second licence and assuming a constant level of sales of £5 billion a year, it is estimated that the third licence will deliver an average annual increase in returns to good causes of between £60 – £100 million.
4. To subscribe to NLC press releases please contact Claire Wotherspoon 020 7016 3422 or email C.wotherspoon@natlotcomm.gov.uk