Chinese Man Buys 50K Lottery Tickets With the Same Numbers, Wins $30M

Posted on: December 6, 2023, 06:56h. 

Last updated on: December 6, 2023, 11:20h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Math shows that purchasing multiple lottery tickets doesn’t increase your odds of winning. That may be true, but a Chinese lottery player ignored the odds and won a fortune when he bought 50K lottery tickets with the same number.

The Chinese flag flying from a ship
The Chinese flag flying from a ship. A Chinese lottery player reportedly won $30 million after buying 50K tickets with the same numbers for a recent draw. (Image: Pinterest)

A resident of Nanchang, situated in east China’s Jiangxi province, struck gold by winning CNY220 million (US$30 million). The windfall came after the lucky but unidentified individual reportedly invested CNY100,000 (US$13,970) in the purchase of the tickets for the Happy 8 lottery.

All of the tickets had the same numbers. Therefore, when they hit in the lottery draw, each ticket became a winner.

Lucky Rabbit

In the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2023 is the year of the rabbit. This equates to a year of “hope and prosperity,” and it certainly was for the lottery winner.

The winning streak unfolded on December 2, when the man bought the tickets for the Happy 8 pick-7 lottery game. He visited various vendors across Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi Province, scooping up the tickets and playing the same numbers on all of them.

The gamble paid off the same day he purchased the tickets when the lottery draw took place. Each of the 50K tickets secured a single prize of CNY4,475 (about US$625), culminating in the monumental prize.

It didn’t take long for him to claim the life-changing sum. Only a few days later, he took a trip to the local lottery headquarters in Jiangxi to collect his winnings.

There, he disclosed a history of consistently purchasing lottery tickets over five years. This veteran player revealed a routine of buying tickets three to four times a week, with each transaction ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan. Over the five years, he may have spent more than $1 million on tickets, but the windfall puts him way ahead in ROI.

The Big Fix?

Chinese social media erupted in chatter about the big win, leading some to theorize that it was the result of a big fix. To them, it was the most logical explanation as to how someone could spend that much money on the same numbers and then win.

In the Happy 8 lottery, like in Powerball and other lotteries, the number of winning numbers on a ticket determines the size of the prize. Since he matched all seven when he played 40, 41, 42, 44, 63, 64, and 65, the unidentified man took the top prize, multiplying it by the number of tickets he purchased.

People on Chinese social media channels are more than a little skeptical about the results. They question the legitimacy of the draw and whether the man had insider information.

They also wonder if it was a ploy by the Chinese government to increase interest in the lottery, which funds civic programs. The Chinese Welfare Lottery, which administers various lotteries, didn’t mention the massive win on its website, which would seem to contradict that theory.

Perhaps the skeptics are just upset that they didn’t win, or that the winner won’t have to pay personal income tax on the windfall. All that’s known is that the recent win serves as a testament to the unpredictability, and for some, the serendipity that comes with the pursuit of fortune through lottery games.