Mind Blown? How 433 People Won Lotto Jackpot on October 1

(SPOT.ph) Taking good care of lottery numbers pays off and it's not unusual that 433 people got the winning combination in a single draw, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office said Sunday.

"There's a first time for everything" such as 433 people getting the winning number, said PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles the morning after 433 people woke up to the news that they were sharing the P236 million pot (P545,000 each).

The winning number for the 6/55 Lotto jackpot draw on Oct. 1 was 9-18-27-36-45-54. The PCSO said it noted a pattern of a large number of people picking that winning combination before the draw.

Continously betting on a combination is common for Filipinos. The PCOS said that on Sept. 26 alone, data showed that 264 people bet on the same number combination.

"Sabi ko nga (Like I said), loyalty pays. It's not only good to be loyal to your wives or husbands, it's also good to be loyal to your numbers," Robles said.

Asked to answer specualtions of hacking, Robles said, "To begin with, this is a game of chance. In a game of chance, nothing is definite. It's a game of chance. There's always a first time in a game of chance," he said.

"Kaya madaming nanalo, kasi andaming nag-aalaga," he said. "Filipinos have a playing habit or betting habit."

What are the odds of winning Lotto 6/55?

It's pure luck. Choosing six numbers from 1 to 55 gives a single bettor a one in nearly 29 million chance of winning the pot, based on calculations. 

Let's say you want to try all the combinations possible, at P20 per ticket, you will need to spend P580 million to win P367 million, that's a P213-million loss on the gross amount.

The entire P367 million would be more than enough for a new house and lot, a condo, a car, a European vacation and an investment portfolio -- assuming the bettor wins.

If the bettor loses, which is more likely, that's P20 less for fare and lunch for the day.

Statistically, the odds of a person getting hit by lightning is higher. According to the U.S. National Weather Service a human being, given an 80-year-lifespan, has a one in 15,300 chance of getting struck by lightning.