Winning the lottery once is a miracle. The odds are astronomical — about 1 in 292 million for Powerball.
But some people have won multiple times. Not twice. Not three times. Some have won fourteen times.
At that point, it’s hard to call it luck. Something else is going on.
Today, we’re going inside the stories of the most famous repeat lottery winners in history — and what they did that most players don’t.
🏆 Stefan Mandel — 14 Wins
The story: Stefan Mandel was a Romanian economist struggling to make ends meet in communist Romania during the 1960s. He had two options: flee the country or find a way to make money. He chose a third option — hack the lottery.
Mandel spent four years developing an algorithm that could predict 5 out of 6 winning numbers. He tested it, expecting to win a small second-place prize. Instead, he won the jackpot.
With his winnings, he bribed his way out of Romania and moved to Australia. There, he perfected his method.
His system: Mandel realized something simple but powerful — if you buy every possible number combination, you’re guaranteed to win. The math was straightforward:
1. Calculate all possible number combinations
2. Find lotteries where the jackpot exceeds the cost of buying every combination
3. Raise money from investors to buy all tickets
4. Print the tickets and claim the prize
The catch? This required millions of tickets. Mandel raised funds from investors, bought computers and printers, hired a team, and printed millions of combinations.
The result: He won 12 jackpots in Australia. Then he turned to the United States.
In 1992, he targeted the Virginia lottery, which had only 7 million possible combinations (far fewer than other US lotteries). When the jackpot hit $27 million, his team purchased 7 million tickets. They won — plus over $900,000 in secondary prizes.
What happened next: The Virginia Lottery launched an investigation involving 14 agencies, including the FBI and CIA. But Mandel hadn’t broken any laws. He collected his winnings and retired to a beach house in Vanuatu.
🏆 Joan Ginther — 4 Wins (Over $20 Million)
The story: Joan Ginther is called “the luckiest woman in the world.” She won the Texas lottery four separate times:
| Year | Game | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Lotto Texas | $5.4 million |
| 2006 | Holiday Millionaire (scratch-off) | $2 million |
| 2008 | Millions and Millions | $3 million |
| 2010 | $50 Scratch-off | $10 million |
Total: Over $20 million.
The mystery: The odds of winning four times like this? According to statisticians: 1 in 18 septillion. That’s a number with 24 zeros.
Here’s what makes Ginther’s story even more interesting: she has a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University. She was a former math professor.
All four of her winning tickets were purchased in the small town of Bishop, Texas — where she grew up but hasn’t lived in decades. She now lives in Las Vegas but travels to Bishop to buy her tickets.
Her method: Unknown. Ginther has never given an interview and refuses to discuss her strategy. Some speculate she may have analyzed ticket distribution patterns or algorithms. Others say it’s pure luck.
🏆 Richard Lustig — 7 Wins (Over $1 Million)
The story: Richard Lustig was a Florida man who won the lottery seven times between 1993 and 2010. His prizes ranged from a vacation to Memphis to a jackpot of $842,000. Total winnings: over $1 million.
Unlike Mandel and Ginther, Lustig wasn’t a mathematician. He was an entertainment booking agent. But he claimed to have developed a “system” through years of playing.
His method: Lustig wrote a book called “Learn How To Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery” and appeared on TV shows sharing his tips. His main advice:
✅ Never use Quick Pick — always choose your own numbers
✅ Pick your numbers based on research (study past winning numbers)
✅ Stick to the same numbers every time
✅ Re-invest your winnings back into tickets
✅ Be patient — consistency beats random picks
The controversy: Financial experts have criticized Lustig’s advice. Some point out that lottery numbers are random, so “researching” past numbers doesn’t improve your odds. Others question whether his total winnings exceeded what he spent on tickets over decades.
Still, the man did win seven times. That’s more than most people win in a lifetime.
Lustig passed away in 2018 at age 67.
🏆 Melvyn Wilson — 4 Wins
The story: Melvyn Wilson, a retired postal worker from Virginia, won four times on scratch-off tickets:
- 2004: $25,000
- 2005: $1 million
- 2005: $500,000 (same year!)
- 2013: $500,000
When asked what he does with his winnings, Wilson replied: “I invest in Melvyn!”
His method: Wilson hasn’t revealed any special strategy. He appears to simply play regularly and enjoy the game.
🔍 What Do Repeat Winners Have in Common?
Looking at these stories, a few patterns emerge:
| Pattern | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Consistency | They play regularly, not just when jackpots are huge |
| Patience | They stick with it over years, not weeks |
| Strategy (sometimes) | Some used math or analysis; others just played smart |
| Reinvestment | Several put winnings back into more tickets |
| They actually check their tickets | Sounds obvious — but billions go unclaimed because people don’t check |
✅ What Can Regular Players Learn?
You probably can’t replicate Mandel’s million-ticket system. And Ginther’s PhD-level analysis (if that’s what she did) is beyond most of us.
But some takeaways are actually pretty simple:
✅ Play consistently — not just when jackpots make headlines
✅ Check every ticket — secondary prizes add up
✅ Consider scratch-offs — multiple winners hit big on these
✅ Pick your own numbers — at least some winners swear by this
✅ Be patient — repeat winners played for years before hitting big
✅ Treat small wins as fuel — reinvesting keeps you in the game
🎯 Conclusion
Is winning the lottery multiple times luck? Skill? Math? Probably some combination.
Stefan Mandel proved that with enough resources and planning, you can guarantee a win. Joan Ginther’s story suggests that statistical knowledge might help. Richard Lustig showed that consistency and patience matter.
None of this guarantees you’ll win. The odds are still astronomical. But these stories prove one thing: some people have figured out how to tilt those odds — even slightly — in their favor.
And that’s more than most players ever do.
📌 This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Lottery outcomes are based on chance. Past winners’ results do not guarantee future success. Please play responsibly and within your means.
Sources: Wikipedia, IFLScience, Listverse, LotteryExpert, CNN Money, various news reports.
Andrew Brooks is a qualified writer and researcher with experience producing clear, trustworthy content on topics such as personal finance, lifestyle optimization, consumer insights, productivity, and informed decision-making. With an approachable yet professional tone, he focuses on turning complex information into practical, easy-to-understand guidance that helps readers make smarter choices with confidence.