Have you ever used a lottery numbers generator to play the Texas Lottery? If not, maybe you should.

A lottery numbers generator takes the guesswork out of the equation for you and generates truly random numbers. You can sit back and relax, secure in the fact that your numbers have as much of a chance to win as any others.

If you’re interested, keep reading. This page is your one-stop guide for using lottery numbers generators when you play the lottery in the Lone Star State. However, if you’re already sold, feel free to use one of the generators below.

What is a lottery numbers generator?

A lottery numbers generator is a program that randomly selects numbers for your lottery picks. How are lottery numbers generated? The system accomplishes this task in one of two ways.

First, it may use a complex algorithm to generate truly random numbers within your game’s specified range. If not, then it may interpret random events, such as changes in weather patterns, numerically.

Can I use a lottery numbers generator to play the Texas Lottery?

Absolutely. There are no federal or state laws to prevent you from doing so. After all, using one doesn’t actually increase your odds of winning, so regulators aren’t too concerned about it.

The only way that you might run into difficulties is if you exploit some flaw in the system to your benefit. We have no idea how someone might do so, but we strongly advise you not to try anything like that, as losing your ticket money would quickly become the least of your worries.

Why use a lottery numbers generator?

Simply put, it’s a good way to shake things up and clear your palate, so to speak.

Many people use significant numbers from their lives to populate their lottery tickets. There’s nothing wrong with doing so, as it can be a good way to ensure that any wins feel “destined” or that you were somehow chosen to win by the favor of the fates. In other words, you can rest your emotions and hopes in the draws more than you normally would.

However, a long dry spell might make you feel the opposite—that “your” numbers are somehow cursed or no good. Suddenly, your harmless lottery gaming is causing you grief or dismay.

If that happens, or if you just don’t have any lucky numbers, use a lottery numbers generator. At the very least, you can blame the system all you want if your selections still don’t pay. A lottery numbers generator doesn’t get its feelings hurt.

Texas Lottery draw games

Now that we’ve covered what lottery numbers generators are and do, let’s talk about the games offered by the Texas Lottery for which you might consider using one.

Powerball

Powerball is one of two major multi-state lottery drawings in the United States. It consists of a six-ball draw every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. CT.

Five of the drawn balls are white balls, numbered between 1 and 69. The sixth ball, a red Powerball, features numbers between 1 and 26. Balls drawn are not replaced after they are selected. Each Powerball entry costs $2.

Because of the immense variation that these number ranges can produce, it is exceedingly difficult to match all six numbers correctly and win the grand prize. As a result, Powerball jackpots routinely ascend into the hundreds of millions of dollars. A few jackpots have even broken above the $1 billion mark.

In addition to the regular gameplay, you can enjoy the Power Play feature for an additional dollar. This option adds a random multiplier to any non-jackpot prizes. You can increase your payout by as much as 10 times the normal prize amount.

Before you get too excited, consider the fact that the chance of selecting all six numbers correctly is 1 in 292,201,338. Even hitting the Powerball alone—which pays out $4—places you at more than a 38:1 deficit. For context, selecting a single number correctly on a roulette spin with a double-zero wheel is a 1 in 38 proposition.

However, you cannot win if you don’t play. Certainly, Powerball winners have had their lives altered dramatically. Maybe you can be the next one on that list.

Mega Millions

Mega Millions is the other major multi-state lottery game available through the Texas Lottery. Like Powerball, Mega Millions features a drawing of six balls. These drawings occur every Tuesday and Friday night at 10:12 p.m. CST. Each ticket costs $2.

Your selection procedure for Mega Millions is virtually identical to that of Powerball. You select five balls between 1 and 70 and then choose a gold Mega Ball value between 1 and 25.

You also have the option of selecting the Megaplier, the analogous add-on to Powerball’s Power Play. It works in a similar fashion by increasing the payouts on any non-jackpot wins.

The lowest tier of winning for Mega Millions—hitting the Mega Ball—offers slightly better odds than the equivalent win at Powerball because of the reduction of possible numbers. However, you’re still a 37 to 1 underdog, equivalent to picking a number on a single-zero roulette wheel.

However, because of the increased number of white balls, it is actually slightly more difficult to win the big jackpots or any lower-tiered prizes beyond the first few. The odds of hitting a Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350. So, like Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots tend to roll over and balloon to astronomical heights.

In reality, though, the difference is largely academic. For the average player, saving an extra 10 million chances for odds is meaningless when the gap is between 292 million and 302 million. In short, you must be preternaturally lucky to win the Mega Millions.

Incidentally, the Mega Millions website comes with its own numbers generator. If you’d like to use it, feel free.

Lotto Texas

If you don’t want to compete with people from outside of Texas with your lottery play, there are plenty of state-exclusive options available. The biggest one is Lotto Texas, which is the in-state draw game that behaves in a similar fashion to Powerball and Mega Millions.

With Lotto Texas drawings, there are no special balls to pick. You simply pick from a group of balls numbered 1 through 54. Drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. CT.

Because the drawing is entirely in-state and the range of numbers is smaller, there are two aspects to consider. For one thing, the jackpots are rarely going to be as high as those for multi-state draw games. Where the two big boys routinely hit above the $100 million mark (at least), most Lotto Texas drawings are going to be worth tens of millions.

However, your chances of winning the jackpot are significantly better with Lotto Texas. The biggest prize bears odds of 1 in 25,827,165. These are still astronomical, of course, but statistically, there is a world of difference between 1 in 26 million and 1 in 292 million.

Like Powerball’s Power Play and Mega Millions’ Megaplier, you can also choose to add onto your selection with Extra!, a $1 side bet multiplier.

Texas Two Step

The next rung in the Texas Lottery’s ladder of draw games is the Texas Two Step. With this game, you select numbers from five different balls between 1 and 35. The first four balls are white balls drawn from the same pool. The final ball, a red one, is a separate 1-to-35 pick.

The Texas Two Step draws occur on Mondays and Thursdays. Tickets are $1 each.

Jackpots for Texas Two Step tend to be much smaller than for the other games. They are usually just over $1 million. On the other hand, the odds for Texas Two Step are not especially long—relatively speaking. Winning the top prize is only a 1 in 1,832,600 proposition.

Pick 3

Pick 3 games are more or less how they sound. You are picking three balls to create a three-digit number.

Pick 3 drawings are available every day of the week except Sundays. There are four different draw times each day: 10 a.m., 12:27 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 10:12 p.m. All times are Central.

One interesting aspect of this game, however, is that you must choose whether your selections can occur in exact order, any order or both. In a sense, this game is a cousin of the box bet feature in horse racing and other parimutuel wagering.

You can also choose to place the separate FIREBALL wager if you like. This side bet allows you to exchange one of the drawn Pick 3 numbers with the drawn FIREBALL number. In doing so, you become eligible for prizes on the FIREBALL prize table.

Pick 3 is a much humbler affair than other games in the Texas Lottery lineup. The top prizes available for any wagers are $500, and many are much lower than that. However, you can play for as little as $0.50, so Pick 3 might be a good option if you want to limit your exposure.

Daily 4

Daily 4 functions identically to Pick 3 … except there are four numbers now. You still pick the same single-digit number for each ball, and you can elect to add the FIREBALL if you like.

You must also designate what order(s) you predict will win. In addition to the exact and any order choices from Pick 3 (now called STRAIGHT and BOX, respectively), you may also choose FRONT PAIR, MID PAIR or BACK PAIR to match how the numbers are drawn.

Prize amounts are higher on Daily 4 than on Pick 3. You can win as much as $5,000 in this game.

Cash Five

Cash Five is functionally the same as Texas Two Step—with one exception. There is no special red ball in Cash Five. Thus, all five of your selections between 1 and 35 are drawn from the same pool of numbers.

The result is a dramatic decrease in the odds against you. Where winning the top prize in Texas Two Step is more than 1 in 1.8 million, a Cash Five jackpot is only 1 in 324,632. It’s still not easy to do, but it’s several times easier than the Two Step.

Of course, because it is easier, the jackpot amounts are usually lower. The Cash Five grand prize is $25,000. As is the case with the lower-tier draw games, Cash Five drawings occur six days a week at 10:12 p.m. CT. The only day off is Sunday. Each entry costs $1.

All or Nothing

All or Nothing bears much in common with keno games found in other areas of the country. You choose 12 numbers from a pool of 24 and win prizes if you can match at least eight of them. Prizes escalate as you match more and more numbers, with a $250,000 jackpot available for a perfect 12-for-12 match.

The twist with this game is that it also pays to pick terribly. If you can match four numbers or fewer, then you are also eligible for the same step-up in prizes found on the other end of the spectrum. If you manage to miss all 12 numbers perfectly, you win the same $250,000.

Now, to be absolutely fair, the most likely scenario every time you play is that you will match between 5 and 7 of your numbers correctly. These are the most mathematically-indicated results, and they are the ones in which you win nothing.

You are also not being compensated all that well for the risk that you’re taking. Matching all 12 numbers would be a 1 in 2,704,156 feat, but you’re getting rewarded with less than one-tenth of the amount indicated by the odds.

All or Nothing tickets are $2 each.

About the Texas Lottery

The Texas Lottery has been a staple of convenience stores and customer service desks in Texas grocery stores for more than three decades. The first lottery ticket sold went to Gov. Ann Richards in May 1992, and a veritable feeding frenzy of playing ensued. More than 100 million tickets were sold during the first week, and more than $1 billion in sales occurred by the end of 1992.

Since then, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $36 billion in revenue. Those funds support two recipients: education and veterans. The bulk of the money goes to the Foundation School Fund, which supports educational initiatives across the state. The rest goes to the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, a grant-awarding organization that helps servicemen who are returning home to Texas from deployments overseas.

Is it safe to buy Texas Lottery tickets using a numbers generator?

Of course. There’s nothing against the law or regulations, so you don’t have to worry about that kind of issue. There’s also no real downside, as lottery play is a guessing game, anyway. Statistically, one number is as likely as another to be called, so you’re not hurting yourself if the numbers are random instead of near and dear to your heart.