Though there is no guaranteed way to beat the lottery, there are play strategies. As a guide, spend only 0.5% of your gross income on lottery tickets. That is, for every $1,000 a month you earn, spend only $5 a month on the lottery. After all, the odds of winning the 6/51 lotto, for example, are over 18-million-to-1 against you. A better bet is found in Rule #3.