Published Online: Feb 02, 2024
Page range: 38 - 52
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jses-2023-0008
Keywords
© 2023 István Gere, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This study presents an econophysics based approach to the study of lotteries. By treating lotteries as complex systems we analyse the guiding dynamics of real-world lotteries. We found that the growth of the jackpot, that can be won, between two successive draws is proportional to its preceding value. This growth is best described as a linear function with two parameters a and b reflecting foundational player pool sales and the excitement generated by the current jackpot respectively. A computer simulation considering additional parameters (such as the price of a ticket: s, and the format of the lottery: p) is used to study the statistical features of simulated lotteries covering a vast parameter space. This approach enables us to construct a detailed map of how various parameters influence lottery behaviour by examining the statistical characteristics of the simulated lotteries. The findings emphasize the need for thoughtful pricing strategies in real-world lotteries and suggest that simulations can assist organizers in making informed decisions.