Lottery Terms

Author: Dolly Gambler

Adjacent Numbers
Numbers that are next to each other, or on either side (+1 or -1) of the Lotto numbers that hit in the last drawing.

Alternate Numbers
Also called a bonus number or a supplementary number, is an extra number in a Lotto game which comes from a separate number field than the rest of the numbers.

Annuity
A non lump sum lottery payout that is paid to the winner in installments over many years.

Average
The sum of all lotto numbers in a group, divided by the total number of numbers in the group.

Ball Sets
The groups of Lotto balls that Lotteries use in their drawing machines to choose the winning numbers.

Bias
Something that has gone on too long or has gone too far out of line from the norm in Lotto.

Bonus Numbers
Also called an alternate number or supplementary number, is an extra number in a lotto game which comes from a separate number field than the rest of the numbers.

Boxed Bet
A method of betting a three or four digit number that will win if the numbers come in any sequence.

Cascade
Three increasingly longer skip periods between wins of a lottery number.

Cash Cow
A jackpot winning prize.

Cold Number
A lotto number that has not hit for a long time.

Companion Pairs
Two numbers that hit together.

Double
A Pick 3 or Pick 4 digit number that contains two numbers of the same digit.

Exotic Numbers
An unusual or infrequently drawn set of numbers.

Games Out
The number of games or drawings a Lotto number has skipped since the last hit.

Hanging Ghost
A number that is due to hit but does not appear.

High Numbers
The top half of the number field of a Lotto game.

Hit
When a number appears in the official Lotto drawing for a game and is therefore a winning number.

Hopper
A globe shaped container that continually rotates to mix the lottery balls until all the numbers are drawn.

Hot Numbers
Numbers that appear more frequently than would be normally expected.

Jackpot
The top prize paid out for any lottery game.

Last Digit
Numbers with the same last digit.

Lottery / Lotto
A game of astronomical odds where players select a small group of numbers from a large group of numbers to win prizes of various levels determined by the amount of winning numbers selected.

Lucky Dip
A random selection of Lottery numbers made by the Lottery terminal's computer at the point of purchase. Also called a Quick Pick.

Natural Selection
A selection of numbers made by the player as opposed to a computer-generated "Quick Pick" selection.

Odds
The chance of winning.

Oneoffitis
A term used to describe the frustration of betting number(s) that are one off plus or minus the winning numbers.

Playslip
The card with several boxes in which players select their number combinations and wagering options. When completed, the playslip is processed through the lottery terminal to generate the official lottery tickets.

Quick Pick
A random selection of lottery numbers made by the lottery terminal's computer at the point of purchase. Also called a Lucky Dip.

Rollover
When a jackpot is not won it is added or "rolled over" to the next draw's jackpot, increasing the prize payment until the jackpot is finally won.

Root Sum
A number from one to nine derived from the addition of all of the numbers in a single bet.

Shift in the Draw
A sudden change in draws results.

Straight
A Pick 3/4 bet outcome that is bet and won in exactly the same order.

Sum
The sum of all numbers in the bet.

Ticket
The official lottery bet. A piece of paper issued after purchase containing the numbers bet for the upcoming draw(s).

Virgin
A term referring to a single number or combination of numbers that have not previously been drawn.

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