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50 million francs await the lucky person who hits the Swiss lottery jackpot on Saturday evening. But does that just have to do with luck?
People in Europe have been playing the lottery for almost 600 years. You invest a comparatively small amount of money only to reap a huge sum of money in a rather unlikely way. First of all: The claim that it is more likely to be struck by lightning is not tenable. A few answers.
Legend:
Hope is a beautiful feeling. According to sociologist Thomas Held, anyone who plays the lottery for fun can hardly lose.
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
What are the chances that I will soon be a millionaire? It is in fact infinitesimally small. The binomial coefficient for a game in which 6 (plus an additional number) special balls have to be drawn from 42 balls is 1:31.5 million. Whether you can take the jackpot home with you, should you be the person who is so enthusiastic about Fortuna, also depends on how many others are playing. The larger the gaming community becomes, the greater the chance of having to share the jackpot with someone.
Are there better and worse number combinations? Mathematically speaking, the probability of matching all seven numbers is the same in every game. It is therefore irrelevant whether lottery players always play with their own birthday date or whether they leave pretty embroidery patterns on the lottery ticket. However, there is another probability at play here too. If a birthday date wins, there is a greater chance that the winner will have to share the windfall with others. The expert therefore recommends using random numbers.
What do I do if I win? If the winnings are over 1,000 francs, they will no longer be paid out directly by the sales point operator. Instead, he hands out a so-called winnings claim receipt. With this receipt, the lucky person reports to the Swisslos headquarters in Basel. If his trust in the Swiss Post is intact, he can also deliver it by post. The winnings are then paid out to the desired accounts. But be careful: happiness has a half-life. You only have six months to claim a profit.
How much of my five francs will go to a good cause? Of five francs paid in according to Swisslos around 3.25 francs paid back to the syndicate. Of the remaining 1.75 francs, 30 cents go to the sales partners and 30 cents go to Swisslos’ operating expenses. The remaining 1.15 francs go to the cantons and national sports for good causes. After all, around 420 million francs annually.
Do I have to pay tax on my winnings? If someone were to win the jackpot of 50 million francs as the sole winner, the state would make them pay the sum. According to the new gambling law from 2019 Winnings up to 1,038,300 francs are tax-free (as of 2023). However, anything above this will be subject to withholding and income tax.
Do I have to be careful of lightning? Fortunately, the fact that the probability of being struck by lightning is greater than that of winning the lottery is only half the truth. But the problem is fundamental: it is difficult to compare the two probabilities. The lottery numbers cannot be influenced. Whether you are struck by lightning depends not least on your own behavior. And whether the lottery player is more likely to be struck by lightning or land a lottery six over the course of a year also depends on how often she plays.