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Lottery Terms Explained


Lottery and Lotto terms

Annuity - like a mortgage. Lotteries sometimes use annuities to create higher jackpots than they have the cash for. The winner of an annuity backed jackpot collects the money in instalments over several years.
Boxed - A way of betting a three or four digit number that will pay off if those three or four numbers are drawn in any order.
Boxing - A system used to play more digits than you could normally play in a three or four digit numbers game.
Cash Payoff - A lottery prize that will be paid out all at one time, rather than over several years.
Combo - A way of betting a three digit number that covers all possible combinations of sequences.
Double - A 3 or 4 digit number that contains two numbers of the same digit. Example; 122.
Double-Double - A four digit number made up of two doubles. Example; 1221.
Draw - The lottery results.
Exact Order - (Also, Straight) Numbers drawn in the same order as played.
Exotic Numbers - Unusual or uncommon set of numbers.
Fixed Payouts - Fixed lottery prizes for each dollar played.
Natural Selection - A selection of numbers made by the player as opposed to a 'Quick Pick' selection.
No-Match Numbers - A 3 or 4 digit number that contains no double digits as in the 'Double' or 'Double-Double'.
Pairs - A three digit number bet whose any one pair of the first two digits, last two digits, and in some cases the first and last digit appear on the drawn number.
Pari-mutuel - A common method of payoffs that splits the total available money between all winners of a particular prize level.
Quad - A four digit number consisting of the same number. Example; 1111.
Quick Pick - A random selection of numbers made by computer.
Straight - A bet of 3 or 4 numbers that must be drawn in the exact order.
To Wheel - To play the 'Wheeling System'.
Tree System - A way of organising numbers to play for a straight win so that potential combinations are not missed. Similar to a 'Wheeling System'.
Triple - A three digit number consisting of the same number. Example; 111.
Virgin - A colloquial term referring to a number or number combination that has never been drawn.
Wheeling System - A way of organising and playing a set of numbers to improve the chances of winning multiple prizes.
Withholding - The anticipated tax amount deducted from prize payments.