Lucky Dips work in the same way whether you enter online or via an authorised retailer, and use software that has been designed to generate random number sequences within certain parameters - in this instance, the ball pools for the main numbers as well as the Lucky Stars. The software is rigorously tested to ensure that the numbers generated are random and the Gambling Commission has had the Lucky Dip facility on EuroMillions independently assessed, with the University of Salford publishing a study on the randomness of Lucky Dips in 2010.
While the software is designed to have no memory of numbers chosen previously and makes sure that each new line is randomly generated, some of the same numbers can appear on different lines within one ticket. There was even an astonishing coincidence earlier this year when Kent grandmother Doreen Wallace purchased two Lotto Lucky Dips a few minutes apart and found that all six numbers on both slips were identical.
National Lottery officials insisted they had never heard of an incident like it and, although Doreen missed out on a prize, opting for a Lucky Dip has proven to be a successful strategy for many other players. The family syndicate from Monmouthshire who landed a £61.1 million jackpot on EuroMillions on Friday 29th July bought just six Lucky Dip tickets after getting a feeling that they were on a run of good fortune.
Lucky Dips are certainly a great option for anyone who cannot decide which numbers to play or who just wants to enter as quickly and easily as possible. You can also use the EuroMillions Number Generator to pick a line at random before actually buying your ticket, giving you the chance to keep generating numbers until you hit a set that you like.
The random nature of Lucky Dips can also help players to receive bigger prizes if they do happen to win. Whereas the odds of winning are exactly the same for each and every line, whether you go for a Lucky Dip, select your own favourite numbers or just pick 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with Lucky Stars 6 and 7, it is likely that more players will select numbers with a recognisable sequence. If you have a random set of numbers and win, the chances are you would not have to share a prize with as many other players.
The EuroMillions jackpot currently stands at £25 million (€29 million) following two rollovers since the Welsh family’s big win. You can put yourself in with a chance of landing the lot by entering online or via an authorised retailer, whether you want to go for a Lucky Dip or not. Best of luck!