🧪 Is Lotto 6/49 really random?
We run all 4,460 Lotto 6/49 draws since 12.06.1982 through 11 statistical tests. The question: do the draws behave the way pure chance predicts, or are there patterns, “hot” numbers, seasonal effects?
No anomaly: 0 of 11 tests fall below the 5% threshold – pure chance would produce 0.55. After correcting for multiple testing (Holm), no finding remains.
| Test | Finding | p-value | p (Holm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniform numbers Is every number drawn equally often? χ² = 47.2 with 48 df; largest deviation: 45 (z = 2.69). | normal | 0.504 | 1.000 |
| Uniform Bonus number Are all Bonus number drawn equally often? 4,460 draws; χ² = 47.6 with 48 df; largest deviation: 5 (z = 2.43). | normal | 0.490 | 1.000 |
| Seasonal numbers Do some numbers come up more often in certain months? number × month, χ² = 568.5 with 576 df; most extreme cell: 15 in September (z = 2.94). | normal | 0.580 | 1.000 |
| Draw day Do the numbers depend on the day of the draw? number × weekday, χ² = 104.9 with 96 df; most extreme cell: 45 on Saturday (z = 3.33). | normal | 0.252 | 1.000 |
| Stability over time Have the frequencies shifted over the years? 4 periods, χ² = 201.0 with 192 df; largest deviation: 31 in period 1 (z = 3.51). | normal | 0.313 | 1.000 |
| Sum of numbers Do the sums follow the exact distribution? mean sum 151.66 (theoretical 150.00); χ² = 37.5 with 32 df. | normal | 0.232 | 1.000 |
| Even/odd Is the mix of even and odd numbers right? χ² = 5.0 with 6 df. | normal | 0.539 | 1.000 |
| Consecutive numbers Do pairs like 12–13 appear as often as expected? 49.0% of draws contain consecutive numbers (theoretical 49.5%). | normal | 0.518 | 1.000 |
| Repeats from previous draw Does a draw depend on the previous one? on average 0.73 numbers of the previous draw come up again (theoretical 0.73). | normal | 0.988 | 1.000 |
| Number pairs Do certain pairs come up together too often? most frequent pair 38 + 45: 82 times (expected 56.9); spread of all pairs compared with 100 random series. | normal | 0.812 | 1.000 |
| Gaps between hits Are a number's absences as long as pure chance predicts? gap distribution compared with 100 simulated random series. The values are even slightly more even than typical – still within chance unless p is very small. | normal | 0.099 | 1.000 |
The latest draw
Draw of 17.10.2026 (5 22 23 26 29 37) – rarest feature: 3 number(s) repeated from the previous draw; this happens about once every 54 draws.
Almost every draw has some “rare” feature if you look at enough features. That is no sign of manipulation.
Strategies on trial: do frequent or overdue numbers predict anything?
For every draw since 12.06.1982, the test picks numbers using only the earlier draws (last N draws) and counts how many come up in the next draw. The benchmark is what a random selection of the same size hits on average.
Popular strategies
| Strategy | Selection | Hits per draw | expected | ratio | p-value | p (Holm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| … | |||||||
Test your own mix
N1/N2: frequency within the last N draws. N3/N4: current gap (draws since last hit, over the whole history). Overlaps count once.
Distribution of hits per draw
observed expected (chance)
Cumulative excess / shortfall vs. chance
Important: every combination has the same chance in every draw. No strategy can improve the number of hits; test enough variants and you will still find some with p < 5% – that is chance (see above, multiple testing).
How to read the table
The p-value is the probability of a result at least this extreme under pure chance. Below 5%, a single test is usually called “significant”. Because 11 tests run at once, about 0.55 such hits are expected by chance alone; the Holm correction accounts for that. Only a result still below 5% after correction would be a serious hint.
Method
Based on the official draws of the current 6/49 format (since 12.06.1982). Frequency tests: chi-square corrected for drawing without replacement. Pairs and gaps: compared with 100 simulated random series of the same length (Monte Carlo, two-sided). Everything is recalculated after every draw.
Rules & FAQ
Is Lotto 6/49 rigged?
The data show no sign of it. 0 of 11 tests fall below 5% (0.55 expected by pure chance), 0 after correcting for multiple testing. The draws behave like those of a fair drawing machine.
Can these tests predict winning numbers?
No. Precisely because the draws pass the tests, there is no exploitable pattern: every combination has the same chance in every draw.
Why is a test sometimes “unusual”?
At the 5% level, one test in twenty fires by pure chance on average. That is why we also show the Holm-corrected p-value, which accounts for the number of tests.