IT could be life-changing and is, in theory, relatively simple. Just guess the correct numbers and all your dreams come true.

In practice, it is anything but. The odds of you winning the lottery are estimated to be around 45 million to one. But can you improve your chances?

What are the best tips for winning the lottery?

Obviously, there is no way to predict the winning numbers in the lottery. Each draw is completely random.

But there are ways to increase your odds.

Firstly, select the right game. The lottery could mean one of several games – each with different odds and jackpots.

Playing a game with smaller odds gives you a better chance of winning.

Secondly, buy more tickets. This sounds obvious, but there are several ways to do this.

Aside from simply splashing out more yourself, one way of increasing your odds of winning is to join a syndicate or pool.

This could be made up of friends, family, colleagues or even strangers – it doesn’t matter.

A syndicate or pool is a group of people who purchase a set number of tickets and agree to share any prizes out equally, whoever wins.

Another way of winning the lottery? Check your ticket!

Unclaimed wins are more common than you think, due to people either losing their tickets, forgetting to check – or simply misreading the winning numbers.

Finally, pick random numbers. It is thought that tens of thousands of people choose combinations like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 each week. Don’t let that be you!

What are the most common numbers?

According to lottery.co.uk, the six most common numbers drawn between October 2015 and December 2020 in UK lottery games were: 52, 54, 8, 58, 55 and 47.

But, as mentioned previously, it is worth remembering that the numbers are drawn completely randomly each game – so there is no guarantee these numbers will come up again.

The least common numbers over the same period were: 48, 24, 15, 21, 6 and 33.

43 is currently the most overdue number, according the site’s statistics – having last been drawn 128 days ago.

What have past winners said about choosing winning numbers?

There has been countless different tactics employed by previous winners – some more quirky than others.

Ray Wragg, who won £7.6million with his wife Barbara in 2000, revealed he used to drive around Sheffield and write down car number plates to pick for each Lotto.

This method eventually delivered six lucky numbers – netting him and wife Barbara £6million.