What do these people have in common: George Martinek, Susan Hannoun, Lori Boyle, Bernadette Gietka, Neal Wanless, and Bob Guerzon? Answer: They are all millionaire lotteries. They, along with thousands of people each year, defy the odds and win the lottery jackpot. We hear about the jackpot winners every week on the news. But have you ever considered how many new millionaires the lottery creates each year? How many people make at least a million dollars?

According to the TLC television program, “The Lottery Changed My Life,” more than 1600 new lottery millionaires are created each year. That doesn’t include people who have won jackpots over, say, $ 100,000 because the number would be so much higher. Still, 1600 is a pretty high number.

If 1600 win at least a million in the lottery each year, it means there are more than 130 each month, more than 30 each week, and more than 4 each day. They are many winners.

Perhaps these figures inspire you. You may think that since there are so many great lottery winners, one day your time will come. I don’t mean to ruin the party, but maybe you should think again. The odds of winning a million dollar jackpot are bad. 1,600 annual jackpot winners is not that great a number when you consider how many people actually play. Hundreds of millions of people buy billions of lottery tickets each year and only a small fraction of those people actually win a big jackpot.

However, don’t be discouraged. The lottery is a game of random luck and you may one day get lucky and become a new lottery millionaire. Good luck!