06 May 21

Do you have a winning name? Latest data shows just who is winning the lottery

Gold Lotto
SNAPSHOT
  • The Joshuas, Ashleys and Daniels of Australia may have always thought they were winners, but now they have concrete proof as new data shows people with the initials of J, A and D took home more than a quarter of all division one lottery wins last year.
  • Ahead of this weekend’s $20 million Saturday Lotto Superdraw, The Lott has spelt out the first name initials and age groups of those who took out the most division one wins across all lottery games in 2020.
  • In the 12 months ending 31 December 2020, and for the second year in a row, it was players with the first initial of J that snagged the most division one wins across all lottery games, scoring 11% (table 1).

By Anna Hobdell

Updated 6 May 2021 - 8:33 am,

first published at 6 May 2021 - 8:31 am

The Joshuas, Ashleys and Daniels of Australia may have always thought they were winners, but now they have concrete proof as new data shows people with the initials of J, A and D took home more than a quarter of all division one lottery wins last year.

Ahead of this weekend’s $20 million Saturday Lotto Superdraw, The Lott has spelt out the first name initials and age groups of those who took out the most division one wins across all lottery games in 2020.

In the 12 months ending 31 December 2020, and for the second year in a row, it was players with the first initial of J that snagged the most division one wins across all lottery games, scoring 11% (table 1).

The Andrews, Annas and Amelias of the country weren’t far behind, with the initial of A taking home 8.2% of division one wins.

The year 2020 also turned out to be a fortuitous year for lottery players with the first initial of D. They accounted for 8.14% of last year’s big wins.

No one with a first name starting with X or U claimed a major lottery prize last year, while there was only one division one win each for players with an initial of O, Q, and Y.

Crunching the numbers on age groups, it was players in their sixties who had the most lottery success in 2020, accounting for about a quarter (26.43%) of division one wins.

Not far behind were players in their forties, who enjoyed 21.43% of major lottery wins last year.

The Lott spokesperson Lauren Cooney said only time would tell if these winning groups would snare division one in this weekend’s Saturday Lotto Superdraw.

“It’s always interesting to look at the trends that emerge from division one data and create a profile of our major lottery winners,” she explained.

“If your first name starts with a J and you’re in your sixties, 2020 may have been the year for you.  But even if you’re a Xander in your 20s, don’t despair as we see lottery winners across Australia, across all adult age groups and with all sorts of names!

“It is important to remember that lotteries are fun games of chance and no matter what your initial is or how old you are, as long as you have an entry, there’s a chance a win could be in your future.”

Ms Cooney said she was looking forward to crowning the next group of Saturday Lotto Superdraw division one winners.

“Superdraws are famous for making multiple millionaires, with the March Superdraw creating eight new multi-millionaires,” she said.

“We can’t wait to see how many people’s lives will change after this weekend.

“For anyone buying an entry, I recommend that you register your entry to a player card or online account. This means your prize is secure and I can give you a call with the life-changing news if you’re holding a division one winning entry.”

Table 1: Percentage of 2020 division one winners across The Lott’s jurisdictions according to first name initial

First name initial% of total winsFirst name initial% of total wins
A8.2%N3.08%
B4.8%O0.3%
C6.46%P5.05%
D8.14%Q0.3%
E2.80%R7.3%
F2.22%S6.74%
G5.05%T2.8%
H3.37%U0%
I0.55%V0.56%
J11%W3.08%
K3.65%X0%
L5.61%Y0.3%
M7.58%Z1.1%

Table 2: Percentage of 2020 division one winners across The Lott’s jurisdictions according to age group

Age group% of total wins
70s18.57%
60s26.43%
50s20.71%
40s21.43%
30s10.71%
20s2.14%

 

Saturday Lotto’s $20 Million Superdraw, draw 4153, is on Saturday 8 May 2021.

Tickets can be purchased at any licensed lottery outlet, online from thelott.com or via The Lott mobile app before the draw close at 7.30pm AEST on the day of the draw.

The home of Australia’s Official Lotteries, The Lott operates and markets Australia’s leading lottery games customers know and love creating everyday winners, winning every day.

Last financial year, more than 104.9 million winners took home more than $3.45 billion in prize money from their favourite games at The Lott, including Saturday Lotto, Monday & Wednesday Lotto, Powerball, Oz Lotto, Set for Life, Lucky Lotteries, Keno, Super 66, Lotto Strike and Instant Scratch-Its.

In the 12 months to 30 June 2020, Australia’s Official Lotteries contributed more than $1.4 billion via state lottery taxes and donations to help community initiatives, such as hospitals, health research, disaster relief and education.

Notes

  • The above information is compiled from major prize wins across The Lott’s jurisdictions (New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Northern Territory) in Saturday Lotto, Monday & Wednesday Lotto, Oz Lotto, Powerball, Lucky Lotteries, Set for Life, Super 66, and Lotto Strike from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
  • The above information is inclusive of online entries.
  • Data only includes major prize winners with known first name initial and birthday.