My name is Petra, I am 44 years old and come from Mönchengladbach. I’ve been playing the lottery for 10 years now and for a year now also the Euro Jackpot, the lottery that you can play in more or less all of Europe.

At that time I only started playing on a whim, because the jackpot was a bit higher. Like many others did back then and even still do today, I thought that you could play along. Maybe you could even win. Well, it wasn’t the big win the first time I played, but I had at least three right bets back then and so I won my entire bet back. Maybe that was the fatal thing. Because that made me want to play more often. In the beginning it was in a rhythm of two weeks always with the Saturday Lotto. But then also with a completely filled out note and not just a row or something. Well well, that has changed over time, so rather after a few years. So afterwards I took part at least in the Saturday lottery and sometimes I also played on Wednesdays, depending on how the jackpot was filled.

Until a year ago, I always went directly to a lottery branch to fill out the ticket and hand it in directly. There I always paid in cash unless I didn’t have enough cash with me. Then the payment also ran over the EC card. Fortunately, I read by chance that you can also play over the Internet. I researched that immediately and it was true. Since then I only play via the official lottery site. This is simply more convenient and definitely faster. Especially since I don’t have to fill out a new ticket for the online lottery right away if a cross hasn’t landed on the number I actually wanted in the end. After all, I can change the numbers online as often as I want when filling out the ticket. Admittedly, at least two blocks are always filled with the same numbers, even if this may not be the best strategy. But every lottery player might agree with me that you always wait for your own “source numbers” to be drawn. Well, maybe it’s because I’d be very annoyed if I didn’t play those numbers and they were drawn afterwards. You could call that fear or paranoia. Of course, I am well aware that the chances are generally very small that “my” numbers will be drawn. I also know that the probability is even lower that my numbers will be drawn if I don’t play them, but rationality can’t be expected from me and Lotto.

I am pursuing a strategy in the true sense of the word for the remaining blocks, which I do not fill out either. Usually the crosses fall according to appearance or feeling. Maybe it sounds strange to choose the numbers according to the optics, i.e. according to a pattern, but so completely crosswise, that looks somehow so inharmonic. That’s why I’m trying to get some kind of order into it, even though I’m aware that it’s less important when drawing. In short, I only follow a strategy with two blocks by playing the same numbers with these blocks always, but really always.

For about a year now, playing for the Euro Jackpot has been added online. Also here the incentive was a relatively high jackpot. And of course I could not achieve any outstanding winnings with the Euro Jackpot. But it is simply very convenient to play online and therefore the Euro Jackpot is now almost weekly on the game program. By the way, gambling on the Lotto site also has the advantage that you can even pay conveniently by direct debit and therefore no credit card is needed.

Over the years I have invested a lot of money in lotto games. And unfortunately also lost, because like the first time lotto play it usually does not run. So there are smaller winnings again and again, but the losses outweigh nevertheless. After all, I usually gamble between 6 and 12 Euros a week when I only play the normal lottery. But sometimes I still play on Wednesdays or Euro Jackpot. Then it can happen once a week that I gamble up to 30,00 Euro a week. Even if you win about 10,00 to 15,00 Euro again, the bottom line is always a minus. I have already thought about quitting, but as long as I can afford it and still have this “tingling” when filling out the tickets, I will probably remain playing lottery, even if I make losses. In addition, it has always been the case that I have had slightly higher winnings, especially in those phases when I really flirted with quitting. So I’ve had four right numbers with extra numbers several times. In the end, that always meant several hundred euros in profit. And just in such moments I catch myself with the fact that then the hope for the completely large profit germinates again. And besides I see then in the doubt moments in the winnings always a kind of indication that I should play nevertheless still further.

By the way, the Euro Jackpot has already been like this for me, that I have won several hundred Euro, after I had four correct numbers and one Euro number. That is why I will certainly continue to play there. After all, it’s a lot of fun when you win. Even if the win is less than the stake, I’m still happy about it like a toddler at Christmas. And as long as I still have this feeling and in addition this tingling sensation when filling out and drawing, I will probably not be able to get myself to stop. Because this feeling is simply too good for me to leave it out voluntarily. I know it must sound like I’m addicted now, but I also have my principles in the lottery. I would never play two tickets at the same time. And most of the time I don’t even play a complete ticket. After all, I only do that when the jackpot is high. That’s why I don’t think I’m really addicted.

Besides, Lotto and Euro Jackpot are also the only games of chance I play. And hopefully in the future I will be able to tell you how great it is to have five real ones or more.

Experience report written by Petra, 44 years old, living in Mönchengladbach.