Exploring Seven Decades of Lotto History: Unveiling Fascinating Facts
The game "6 out of 49" is a staple in German lottery history, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Invented by Lothar Lammers and Peter Weiand in Germany, the lottery began on October 9, 1955, and quickly became a fixed part of the Saturday evening program for almost half a century.
The first draw was broadcast on television on September 4, 1965. Since then, the game has seen its fair share of memorable moments, including the drawing of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on April 10, 1995. With these numbers, 38,008 players won a total of 379.90 marks each.
Number 13, however, has been drawn the least number of times in the history of the German lottery.
The lottery with the "6 out of 49" game of chance began in the Federal Republic of Germany, but its roots can be traced back to the 16th century in Genoa, where it was first invented for a political election. The game spread throughout Europe from the 18th century.
In more recent times, the lottery moved to the internet in July 2013, making it more accessible than ever. Last year, more than half a billion lottery tickets were filled out in Germany.
One of the most significant wins in the history of the "6 aus 49" lottery occurred on a Wednesday in January 2024, with a ticket bringing in 48,580,715 euros and 30 cents. This is the largest single win in the game's history.
In November 2022, a man from Berlin won 120 million euros in the Eurojackpot lottery, which was the capped maximum win in that game. Meanwhile, the largest jackpot in US lottery history, worth $2.04 billion (approximately $2.03 billion), was won in California that same month. However, if paid out immediately, the amount would be around $998 million.
Interestingly, in June 1977, 205 winning tickets shared the winnings of a "6 out of 49" draw, each receiving around 30,000 marks, due to the same numbers being drawn as in the previous week's Dutch lottery.
The most frequently drawn six-number combination in the German "6 aus 49" lottery is 1, 6, 26, 27, 32, and 49. These numbers have been among the most drawn overall since the start in 1955.
As the "6 aus 49" lottery continues to evolve, it remains a popular choice for millions of players across Germany. Whether playing online or in person, the thrill of potentially winning a life-changing sum of money remains as exciting as ever.
