Number 13 really IS found to be the Lottery's 'unluckiest' number

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It is the unluckiest ball in the National Lottery, research has revealed. Since the lottery was launched in 1994, 13 has come up only 146 times, eight fewer than any other ball.

It failed to appear in 49 consecutive draws between July and December 1997. The next unluckiest balls are 6, 9 and 11.

The Lotto's luckiest ball is 38, which has come up 217 times, followed by 25 and 31.

But anyone hoping to improve their negligible chance of winning by picking these numbers should be cautious. Camelot, which runs the lottery and carried out the research, stresses that past performances mean nothing and the odds against hitting the jackpot are always 13,983,816 to one.

The number 13 is considered unlucky in many cultures and has an ancient association with the devil, compounded by the fact that Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person to sit at the table during the Last Supper.

The 13th card of the Major Arcana in a Tarot deck is Death.

Despite this, Camelot claims that the number 13 has marked some positive milestones in the lottery's history.

Around 13 new millionaires have been created every month in the 13 years since the first draw on November 19, 1994.

A 13-strong syndicate of Littlehampton taxi drivers has won two major prizes, a £546,480 share of a jackpot in February this year and £144,222 from matching five main numbers and the bonus ball back in 2002.