Find yourself placing bets every month in vain? Ever wondered what it takes to win the highest 4D and TOTO prizes? Equally complicated as it is simple, here are a few logical reasons why you haven’t struck 4D – and unsurprisingly, none of it has to do with luck.
1.You’ve Got 1 in 14 Million Chances of Winning
As most gambling enthusiasts would know, the higher you bet, the more you stand to win in the end. In the game of 4D, Singaporeans place bets on any 4-digit number from 0000 to 9999, and only win money when there is a correct matching to the 4-digit number drawn. Every participating number has an estimated 23 in 10,000 odds of winning, however, the probability of striking each set of 4 numbers in the right order is a mere 1 in 10,000.
Similarly in TOTO, the chances are even slimmer due to the increased number selection. Through this method, participants select six numbers out of 14 million numerical combinations.
2. No Amount of 8’s Will Lead You To First Place
Contrary to popular belief, there are no ‘lucky’ Singapore Pools branches, specific numbers are not luckier than others based on their history of reaping more prize money, and there are no differences in the way lottery balls surface when drawing. In fact, the 4D and TOTO drawing process is meticulously monitored to ensure efficacy with the smallest margin of error – which is currently recorded as 0.01%.
This is ensured through utilising new sets of lottery balls of equal weight for each draw, in order for all numbers to stand an equal chance of being selected. Through consistently maintaining constant variables in every aspect of the drawing process, Singapore Pools is able to minimise any individual’s ability to accurately predict an outcome.
3. You Lose Money Even When You Win
Regarded ‘fixed-odds’ games, 4D and TOTO are not designed to get easier over time, but instead remain stagnant regardless of your strategy, approach or perceived level of skill. As such, a class of betting strategies that originated from 18th-century France, known as the Martingale System gained traction in Singapore. This strategy requires the gambler to double the bet after every loss, so that the first win would recover all previous losses plus win a profit equal to the original stake.
In Singapore, this method is most popularly executed with a $10,000 reserve, giving each participant at least 10,000 opportunities to win. Since a gambler with 10,000 opportunities will almost surely win at least once, the martingale betting strategy is certain to make money for the gambler provided they win the highest prize and have the infinite wealth necessary.
Is consistently betting on ‘fixed-odds’ games worth a one-time win? According to the Singapore Tote Board, the average Singaporean loses an estimated $1,250 per year to gambling – that’s $52,500 throughout a span of 42 years, for participants who gamble consistently from 18 to 60 years old.
Arguably one of the most unsound choices of investment, win or lose, when done safely and within one’s means, the gambling can be fun to discuss amongst friends and be used to develop friendly competition. In fact, a significant portion of annual 4D and TOTO losses are returned to the Singapore society through means of charitable donations. Ranked second-place as the country with the highest lottery losses, the Singapore Tote Board has set aside up to $30 million worth of lost lottery investments since 2014, for project grants to improve the lives of disabled and underprivileged Singaporeans. As a result, while your chances of winning are low, gambling enthusiasts can rest assured that their money is being put forth towards other meaningful societal contributions.
