Methodology

The short version

The number stats on this site describe past draws. They don't predict future ones, because every draw is independent. We publish the method so you can see exactly what the numbers mean and check them yourself.

Where the data comes from

Every result and statistic on Lottery Atlas comes from our own database. An automated job fills it every two minutes:

1. It reads each game's draw schedule from a commercial US lottery results feed.
2. Once a draw's scheduled time has passed, it requests that draw's winning numbers, jackpot and prize tiers.
3. It stores the result, one row per draw.

The process is fully automated. Nobody checks each result against the state lottery's website by hand, so an error in the feed can show up here until it's corrected. Before you claim a prize, confirm your numbers with the official lottery.

Stats are calculated from the database when a page is built. Pages are cached to keep the site fast, so a brand-new result can take a little longer to appear.

Hot numbers

Definition

The main-pool numbers drawn most often in the game's last 50 draws.

How it's counted

1. Take the game's 50 most recent stored draws (or all of them, if we have fewer than 50).
2. Count how many times each main number appears. Bonus balls such as the Powerball or Mega Ball aren't counted.
3. The five numbers with the highest counts are "hot".

If we have fewer than five stored draws for a game, we don't show stats for it.

Cold numbers

Definition

The main-pool numbers drawn least often in the same 50 draws, among numbers drawn at least once.

How it's counted

The same tally as hot numbers, sorted the other way. The five lowest counts are "cold".

A number that hasn't been drawn at all in the window doesn't appear in any list. That's a known limitation, covered below.

Overdue numbers

Definition

The numbers that have gone longest without being drawn, among those that appeared at least once in the last 50 draws.

How it's counted

For each number, we find the most recent draw it appeared in. "Drawn 17 ago" means it last came up 17 draws back. The five longest gaps are "overdue".

Why none of this predicts anything

Lottery balls have no memory. A number that came up five times last month is exactly as likely to come up tonight as one that hasn't appeared in weeks. Believing otherwise is the gambler's fallacy.

Look at any two 50-draw windows side by side and the hot and cold lists will overlap only as much as chance would suggest. We show the stats because many players enjoy picking from them, and because it's better to show them with an honest explanation than without one. Our guide to hot, cold and due numbers goes into more detail.

Quick Pick generator

Each game page shows a suggested set of numbers. Here is how it's made:

1. We look up the game's number range (1–69 for Powerball, 1–70 for Mega Millions) and how many main numbers it draws.
2. We choose a mode at random: pure random half the time; otherwise "hot", "cold" or "balanced" (about one time in six each).
3. In the hot, cold and balanced modes, the first picks come from the game's 12 hottest numbers, its 12 coldest, or both. Any remaining slots are filled at random from the full range.
4. Bonus balls are always picked at random from their own range.

Random numbers come from PHP's random_int(), which uses the operating system's cryptographically secure generator. Every combination, including ours and the ones you pick yourself, has exactly the same odds. See Quick Picks vs picking your own numbers.

State lottery facts

Each state page answers a few common questions: the state tax withheld from lottery prizes, the minimum age to play, whether winners can stay anonymous, how long you have to claim, and where the money goes. These facts are kept in a table in our code. It was last checked in October 2026 against each state lottery's website, state tax agency publications and the lottery statutes. Laws do change, so confirm with your state lottery before you make a decision based on them.

Known limitations

• Small sample. 50 draws is about seven weeks for a daily game and about four months for a game drawn three times a week. Small samples make the hot and cold lists jumpy.
• Main numbers only. Bonus balls aren't included in the stats.
• Never-drawn numbers aren't listed. A number missing from the whole 50-draw window doesn't show up as cold or overdue.
• Multi-state games. Powerball, Mega Millions and other multi-state games are counted from one national record, not separately for each state.
• Feed errors. If the results feed has a mistake, our stats inherit it until it's fixed.

Check our numbers

The full draw history for every game is free to download as CSV from our open data page. With the last 50 rows for a game, a spreadsheet will reproduce our lists. If your count doesn't match ours, email hello@lotteryatlas.com with the game name.