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According to Swisslos, the chance of winning the lottery jackpot in Switzerland is about 1:31 million. Those who are lucky can afford the long-awaited luxury. However, for many, the dream of winning big money remains just that: a dream.
Only: does it really have to be like this? Mathematician and economist Stefan Mandel has outsmarted the system. He won a lottery jackpot 14 times – completely legal and without breaking any law.
Mandel started his serial winnings in the 1960s as a low-earning man in Romania. “I needed a way to get money quickly,” Mandel said in an interview with an Australian television network.
Without further ado, he developed an algorithm that he believed could predict five out of six winning numbers. And indeed: he cracked the jackpot for the first time. The equivalent of nearly 20,000 francs flowed into his account. Mandel moved to Australia with his family and continued to play the lottery.
Authorities became aware of his scam
The economist discovered that in some lotteries the jackpot was higher than the number of possible combinations. Depending on how you played, this meant that if you handed in a piece of paper with all possible combinations, you always made a profit.
Mandel took advantage of that. In the eighties, the Romanian with Australian nationality won the jackpot 12 times in this way, simply by always entering all number combinations. However, it wasn’t long before the authorities became aware of his scam and the laws were changed.
30 computers and 12 printers in use day and night
First, it was forbidden for one person to play all combinations. Mandel circumvented the ban by seeking allies. When that too was banned, he soon founded his own company.
But because that eventually became too expensive, Mandel began to focus on one lottery: the Virginia Lottery in the US. The jackpot there was three times as high as the number of all possible combinations. For three months Mandel worked with a team of 16 people on making lottery tickets. 30 computers and 12 printers were in use day and night to produce all lots.
Strategy no longer works today
And indeed: on February 12, 1992, Mandel hit the jackpot. He managed to split $27 million between himself and his employees. However, he could not happily retire: Mandel’s strategy did not work for long. Because of his winnings, he had a big trial. In 1995 he had to file for private bankruptcy. He now lives on the Pacific island of Vanuatu.
By the way: Today, Mandel’s strategy of simply submitting all combinations no longer works. The lottery companies have changed the odds of winning and the rules of the game have been tightened. In Switzerland, there are 31.4 million ways to complete the form and each tip costs 2.50 francs. So about CHF 80 million would be due – per draw. That doesn’t pay off.
Stefan Mandel’s strategy was as simple as it was genius. Today all you have to do is fill out a lottery ticket and then dream – that one day you will win the big jackpot. (zis)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
