While the casting of lots has a long history—in fact, it is mentioned in several chapters of the Bible—using lotteries for material gain is of more recent origin. The first public lottery, with tickets for a prize of cash, was recorded in 1466 in Bruges, Belgium. Prize money was awarded for municipal repairs and assistance to the poor.

During the post-World War II period, lotteries gained popularity because states could expand their social safety nets and provide services without having to raise taxes on working people. But critics say that, even when state governments are fiscally healthy, lotteries promote addictive gambling behavior and are a major regressive tax on lower-income groups.

One way to increase your chances of winning is by purchasing more tickets. Also, choose numbers that aren’t close together—others will be less likely to pick them. It’s also a good idea to play a range of low and high numbers, as only 3% of past winners have been all even or all odd. You can also improve your odds by buying more than a single ticket, as this will increase the number of combinations that have an equal chance of being drawn.

Despite all of the tips and tricks, there is no definitive strategy that will guarantee you a win. However, some mathematicians have developed a formula that can be applied to any lottery game to help you improve your odds of winning. Romanian-born mathematician Stefan Mandel, for example, once won the lottery 14 times and shared his formula with the world—although he only kept $97,000 out of a $1.3 million jackpot after paying investors!