How to Create a Lottery Spreadsheet in Excel

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By C.D. Crowder
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (4 Ratings)

Import text file

A lottery spreadsheet helps players keep up with lottery numbers, both past and present. Many players believe they can actually predict a trend or pattern in lottery numbers by analyzing past numbers. They can also use the spreadsheet to compare their picks with past winning numbers. Lottery spreadsheets can be applied to any lottery in which the player chooses numbers. A different spreadsheet can be created for each type of lottery you play, no matter how many numbers are used or how often you play.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Go to the official website of the lottery you play. Download the lottery numbers as a text file.
Step 2

Open Microsoft Excel and import the data. Go to "File>Open" and change the file type to "Text Files."
Step 3

Open the text file you downloaded in Step 1. Choose "Delimited or Fixed Width." Delimited is when commas or tabs separate data. Fixed Width is used if there are columns with spaces between them. You can preview the file in the window below the choices.
Step 4

Choose "Next." Complete the wizard. You will need to choose the format of your data. Since the data will encompass a variety of dates and numbers, choose "General."
Step 5

Sort the data by going to "Data>Sort." Sort by any column heading you wish.
Step 6

Create a spreadsheet, or tab, for each type of lottery. Also create a spreadsheet with the same headings for your own picks.

Tips & Warnings

Keep a list of lottery websites in your bookmarks or Favorites list for greater accessibility. After the first download, you may find it quicker to type in the winning numbers each week.
Create a backup of your lottery spreadsheet each time you import new data, in case data is overwritten by accident.

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