37 YEARS OF LOTTO: WHY THE "27" WILL PERSIST... AND THE "3" LESS SO
"6 out of 45" celebrates its birthday – it turns 37 today, but that's not the only reason to celebrate in September.
September 7, 1986 revolutionised the Austrian gaming scene forever: this is the day the first Lotto "6 out of 45" draw took place. Since then everything has been all about the all-important six correct picks.
On the occasion of this birthday, Austrian Lotteries went in search of six very special numbers that shaped this era, and we quickly found what we were looking for. Some numbers last for all eternity, some are fleeting like vapour, and still others change with varying levels of inertia. Though they might altogether never amount to a constellation of six valid Lotto picks, these numbers are still of some significance on the occasion of this special birthday:
3 is the number that has been drawn the most times since the beginning of the "6 out of 45" Lotto. It emerged from the draw hopper a total of 491 times and thus comes out on top in the "frequency of numbers drawn" category – which admittedly is a flexible category.
23 is the highest number of six correct picks achieved in a single round; this happened on Sunday, May 21, 1989. With the equivalent of around 37,000 euros, it was also the lowest winning rate ever paid for six correct picks. This record will most likely stand for some considerable time.
27 was the very first number drawn in the very first draw on September 7, 1986. This number will stand for all eternity.
3,209 is the number of six correct picks scored over the past 37 years. This may change in the next draw, but that's by no means a certainty.
3,316 is the number of draws that were carried out since "6 out of 45" was introduced. This number will definitely change after the next draw.
15,000,000 is the rounded number of euros for the highest prize won with six correct picks to date. Exactly €14,926,157.30 went to a lucky solo winner in Lower Austria after the first seven-fold jackpot on November 21, 2018. This will stand unchallenged at the top of the list with the highest lotto winnings... at least until the next seven-fold jackpot.
Evelyn Vysher celebrates her 20th anniversary
The federal state with the highest number of six correct picks in absolute terms is Vienna, where 737 of them were scored. In relative terms, Carinthia had the highest number of six correct picks, with one such win per 2,425 inhabitants. And the district with the most instances of six correct picks is the city of Graz (113 times).
Speaking of Graz: Styria's regional capital has to do with the second Lotto-related anniversary to be celebrated in September: it's the birthplace of Evelyn Vysher, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary as a Lotto draw presenter on Sunday, September 24.