Quick Picks vs. Hand-Picked Numbers: Which Really Wins More in the Lottery?

Most lottery players opt for quick-pick tickets or lotto tickets with computer-generated numbers.

Yet, we all know those players who swear by choosing their own lottery numbers. Hey, we’ve even seen them on TV if they win, claiming their lucky numbers are to thank for the cash.

But which types of lotto tickets win more? Let’s look at the data.

Why Do People Opt for Quick Picks?

Most players prefer quick picks as opposed to hand-picked lottery numbers because they’re easier and faster to purchase. In fact, it’s estimated that nearly 80% of lottery players opt for quick picks.

If you use the same hand-picked number every time you purchase a lottery ticket, you probably don’t need to spend a lot of time coming up with your own numbers; however, it still takes more time for the cashier to enter hand-picked numbers than it does for the system to generate a quick-pick ticket.

Why Do People Prefer Hand-Picking Lotto Numbers?

Only about 20% to 30% of lottery players hand-pick their own numbers. Yet, even though this method is more time-consuming, some players swear by it.

Why do some people prefer to pick their own lottery numbers? Simply because they believe they have more control over the outcome.

Hand-picking lotto numbers is a type of gambling superstition. Some players choose their children's birthday, lucky numbers, or sequences of numbers.

Although players may believe that they have more control over hand-picked ticket outcomes, logically, this isn’t true.

Do Quick Picks or Hand-Picked Lottery Numbers Win More?

More quick-pick tickets win than tickets with hand-picked numbers. This is simply because more players purchase quick-picks.

The lottery is a numbers game (literally), so the highest number of people who choose one ticket type over the other are going to be more likely to win.

At the end of the day, picking your own lottery numbers may not help your chances of winning, but doing so may offer the illusion that your odds of choosing the right numbers are in your favor.