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MegaMillions Jackpot At $100M; Secrets To Winning Revealed?

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The jackpot for Friday night's MegaMillions drawing has reached the $100-million mark, according to the California Lottery.

How can one increase one's chances of winning such a jackpot?

Richard Lustig is well known to Florida Lottery employees. He has collected wins from them totaling over $1 million, including seven grand prizes. He claims that his winning strategy, not luck, is behind his numerous wins.

Others following Lustig's advice said they, too, have been big jackpot winners -- including a Tampa, Florida couple that recently won a grand prize of over $2 million, and this past summer, an Iowa man who won $9 million.

Lustig's out on the speaking circuit marketing his book "Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery," and he shared some insight into his winning lottery method during an appearance last weekend at the Golden Acorn Casino in Campo.

Interest in Lustig's advice has reportedly been growing worldwide, especially with so many people facing economic distress. He's been interviewed in recent months on Rachael Ray's television show as well as several other network and other morning news programs.

"Playing the lottery using my method may actually be safer than putting your money in the stock market these days," he said.

Among Lustig's lottery advice:

-- If you spend $1 on a lotto ticket and win $10, reinvest the money. He said many people are playing lottery games wrong, because they pocket small winnings. Instead, he maintained, if you win $10, then you should buy $11 worth of tickets because "if you lose, you only lost a $1."

-- Never play quick picks or auto play. He said it increases your odds of winning to pick your numbers and stay with them.

-- On scratchers, he suggested buying 10 of one ticket instead of several different tickets. He said you will almost always get at least one winning ticket out of a string of 10.

-- Don't throw your losing lottery tickets away. He noted that if you win a big jackpot, you can write off the cost of your losing tickets against the taxes you pay on your winnings.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved.)

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