If ever there was a time to consider buying lottery tickets it’s now, the Powerball smashing all kinds of records with tomorrow’s $1,3 billion (R22 billion) jackpot.

Now I’ve never actually won the lottery, evident from the fact that I am still employed and not lounging on my own island in the Caribbean, but those who work for the Powerball lottery have some handy tips for prospective winners.

Those tips are summed up over at ABC News so let’s give them a thorough once over:

Leave the Number Picking to the Computer

Rather than picking numbers based on birthdays, anniversaries or other meaningful dates, lottery organizers note that the majority of past winners have left the big decisions up to the computer.

About 70 percent of past winners used Quick Picks, the computer system that spits out numbers, according to the official Powerball website.

When Does Picking Your Own Numbers Make a Difference?

If you play the lottery regularly, lottery expert Richard Lustig recommends that you pick your own numbers and stick to that same combination every time you play. For players who are only drawn in with extreme jackpots, Lustig has one tip.

“The only advice I can really give people is buy as many tickets as you can afford,” Lustig said.

Buy as many tickets as you can afford – I think given that it may be the last time you ever stress about money it’s worth being a little bit cheeky. Buy, now, HERE.

Also Lustig isn’t just shooting from the hip, he happens to have won seven separate lottery grand prizes. For real though, check HERE.

Are Certain Numbers Luckier Than Others?

If you opt to pick your own numbers, you might want to include 8, 54, 14, 39 and 13. Based on an ABC News analysis of past Powerball winners, these numbers are the most frequently drawn numbers.

Sign the Back of the Ticket

Imagine beating the nearly impossible odds and having the winning ticket but someone else claiming the money as their own. That’s what could happen if a stranger gets hold of an unsigned ticket and turns it in.

Tracey Cohen, interim executive director of the D.C. Lottery, told ABC News that a signed ticket with two forms of matching identification is what is required to get the payout in D.C.

Stay Anonymous, If You Can

States have different rules when it comes to publicly announcing the winner’s identity.

If anonymity is possible, Alexa von Tobel, the founder and CEO of financial planning site LearnVest.com, recommends taking that option…

Assemble a Money Management Team

State-run lottery organizations do not give tax or financial advice to winners and they urge people to seek outside counsel.

Von Tobel notes that in addition to just calling up the first financial planner from an Internet search, be sure to do thorough background checks on the individuals that you hire to help you navigate the win.

She suggested hiring an estate planner, a certified financial planner and an accountant before claiming the ticket. In addition to completing background checks, von Tobel also noted the importance of confirming their respective fees before signing on any dotted lines.

Once You Win, Don’t Spend

Many experts, including von Tobel, suggest that any winners wait at least six months — if not a year — before making any purchases.

“We often find that a lot of people end up blowing through millions,” von Tobel told ABC.

According to a 2015 study by the Camelot Group, 44 percent of winners spend their entire winnings within five years.

Good luck spending R22 billion within five years, and if you do please take us along for the ride.

Tickets for tomorrow’s draw available HERE.

[source:abcnews]