The casting of lots to make decisions and determine fate has a long history in human culture, with several instances in the Bible. But lottery-style gambling — offering tickets for sale with prizes in the form of money — is much younger. The first recorded public lotteries were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century to raise money for town fortifications and to help the poor.

Today, state lotteries are based on the same basic model: the government legislates a monopoly for itself; establishes a government agency or public corporation to run it (as opposed to licensing a private firm in return for a portion of the profits); starts out with a small number of relatively simple games and then progressively expands its offerings. They also rely heavily on two messages — that playing the lottery is fun and that winning it could change your life – to lure people in.

But what does it take to win the lottery? And do the numbers really make a difference? This week we sat down with Richard Lustig, an ordinary citizen who has won the lottery seven times. His story, and the patterns he has uncovered that have led to his success, is an example of how we can learn from those who have succeeded at something we want to do as well.