Retiree figures out how to win the lotto
<p dir="ltr">A retired couple have beaten possibly all odds when it comes to winning the lottery thanks to “simple math”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jerry and Marge Selbee from Evart, Michigan, are multimillionaires because of a loophole in the gambling game.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After retiring in 2003, Jerry decided to follow the lotto closely and discovered that it's easier than he thought to win, saying, “Anyone could have done it.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The retiree inspected the game called WinFall and found that if no one won the jackpot of US$5 million ($7 million AUD), then the money would go to ticket holders with fewer winning numbers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I looked at the probabilities of the game and it said that when the WinFall actually occurred and no one won the jackpot, that the prize level would go up by a factor of 10," Jerry said on <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/60-minutes/jerry-and-marge-go-large-lotto-tips-selbee-how-retired-couple-won-39-million/1e5093b5-be35-400f-a142-8ecdf0c289d0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60 Minutes</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"US$50 for a three-number winner and US$1,000 for a four-number winner and the odds were one in, one in 56 and a half for a three-number winner and one in 1032 for a four-number winner."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jerry went on to explain that part of the problem when it comes to playing the lotto is that people think it is structured.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I did not have to be lucky to win. I had to be unlucky to lose."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Almost akin to placing a bet on himself, Jerry decided to test his theory and realised that he was right – and quickly came clean to his wife Marge who was all for it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The couple would buy hundreds of thousands of tickets for the WinFall game – but disaster eventually struck when no more tickets were sold in their hometown.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Soon the pair had to drive 15 hours to Massachusetts to keep winning a similar style of lottery with the same "loophole" structure, but it was something they were both keen to do.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Eventually, they were caught out by investigators but Jerry and Marge were in fact not doing anything illegal.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Their story eventually became well known to the point that a film is being made for streaming service Paramount+ and will feature Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite their lifetime of winnings – in the many tens of millions over the years – Jerry and Marge remain quite humble, spending their money on education for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine</em></p>
