Number Matching System

Understanding how matches are calculated is key to playing Lotto Balls effectively.

Position-Based Matching

Lotto Balls uses a position-based matching system. This means a number only counts as a match if it appears in the exact same position as the drawn number.

How It Works

Your four numbers are compared against the four drawn numbers position by position:

Position:     1    2    3    4
Your Numbers: [3]  [7]  [2]  [5]
Drawn:        [3]  [1]  [2]  [8]
Match?:        ✓    ✗    ✓    ✗

Result: 2 matches

Important Distinctions

Position matching is NOT the same as "numbers appearing anywhere"

Example:

• Your numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Drawn numbers: 4, 3, 2, 1

• Matches: 0 (no positions match, even though all numbers appear)

vs.

• Your numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Drawn numbers: 1, 9, 9, 9

• Matches: 1 (position 1 matches)

Match Outcomes

Matches	Description	USDC Payout	LTB Reward
0	No matches	None	Yes*
1	One position	Small prize	Yes*
2	Two positions	Medium prize	Yes*
3	Three positions	Large prize	Yes*
4	All four (Jackpot)	Jackpot	None

*LTB rewards only apply to USDC bets

The Math

Each position is an independent random draw from 0-9 (10 possible values).

Single Position

• Probability of matching: 1/10 = 10%

• Probability of not matching: 9/10 = 90%

Multiple Positions

Using binomial probability:

Exactly 0 matches:

(9/10)^4 = 0.6561 = 65.61%

Exactly 1 match:

C(4,1) × (1/10)^1 × (9/10)^3 = 4 × 0.1 × 0.729 = 29.16%

Exactly 2 matches:

C(4,2) × (1/10)^2 × (9/10)^2 = 6 × 0.01 × 0.81 = 4.86%

Exactly 3 matches:

C(4,3) × (1/10)^3 × (9/10)^1 = 4 × 0.001 × 0.9 = 0.36%

Exactly 4 matches (Jackpot):

(1/10)^4 = 0.0001 = 0.01%

Strategy Considerations

Since each position is independently random:

• All number combinations have equal probability

• Picking 0, 0, 0, 0 has the same odds as 1, 2, 3, 4

• There's no "hot" or "cold" number—each draw is independent

• Previous results don't influence future outcomes

Verification

You can verify match calculations on-chain by:

1. Looking up your bet's requestId

2. Calling getBet(requestId) to see your numbers and drawn numbers

3. Comparing position by position

4. Checking the GameResolved event for the official match count