Dr. Catalin Barboianu

Catalin is a mathematician and problem gambling professional, holding a PhD in philosophy of science.

A former teacher of mathematics and founder of PhilScience, he has dedicated most of his academic work to interdisciplinary projects that aimed to investigate the roles of mathematics in problem gambling and gambling-specific cognitive distortions. 

Catalin also loves to write for popular audiences as a science writer and is a consultant on the mathematical aspects of games of chance for the gambling industry and problem-gambling institutions. He has authored 14 books in school and applied mathematics (of which 10 books on mathematics of gambling), philosophy of science, and mathematics, as well as over 20 research articles in reputed journals.

He is the author of The Mathematics of Lottery: Odds, Combinations, Systems, which provides a detailed mathematical grounding for the lotto theory and was mentioned in The Washington Post.

He also conducts research-based programs that connect the gambling web space with the academic realm of gambling studies while advocating for the exposure of the mathematical facts of gambling and education-based responsible gambling.

Hometown: Târgu Jiu, Romania.

Education: Mathematics at the University of Bucharest (1987 – 1992) and philosophy of science at the Doctoral School of Philosophy at the same university (2014 – 2017).

Degrees: MSc in mathematics and PhD in philosophy of science from the University of Bucharest.

Professional work experience: Former teacher of mathematics, currently an independent researcher in philosophy and problem gambling, and occasionally a science writer. I lead the PhilScience Gambling Lab, where we investigate gambling from various scientific perspectives.

Languages: Romanian (mother tongue), English.

What I like about working for Lottery USA:

Lottery USA is a reputed lottery portal whose staff includes gambling experts and is open to approaching the lottery from a scientific perspective for the benefit of their readers. This content policy aligns with my mission of educating gamblers about the mathematical facts behind the games and correcting classical gambling-related misconceptions and fallacies.

What most excites and intrigues you about the lottery?

The psychological facts associated with the lottery. The fact that someone winning the big jackpot will inspire others to play against the microscopic odds of winning. The fact that many times, people invoke subjective, even paranormal, hypotheses when debating about draws and wins. A few years ago, I was interviewed by The Washington Post about a “curious” event at the Virginia Lottery, where seven consecutive numbers occurred in a draw (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19). This event exploded in the news and triggered debates on topics moving from fraud to the supernatural. I told them that there is nothing crazy about that draw, as such a combination is possible in the same measure as any other. That draw had a winner, so someone “had the guts” to play that combination. The amazing thing about that is that playing it should not require any courage, but just a good mathematical sense.

What’s your most memorable lottery moment?

It was a funny moment when I experienced the real feeling of winning the jackpot without winning anything. In my youth, I used to play the lottery from time to time. It was a period when there was no internet, and you could only find the draw results from the TV or the next day's newspaper. I had a one-line ticket at the 6/49 lottery, and on the evening of the draw, I was invited to a party. I asked my father to watch the draw for me on TV and write down the drawn numbers on a piece of paper to check them when I come home. Late that night, I came and checked the numbers on that paper against my ticket – six from six drawn! “I am a millionaire!”. After one minute of maximal excitement, I realized that my father had just copied the numbers I played from my ticket on that paper and actually did not write any result down, as no number was hit!

What would you do if you won the Powerball jackpot?

I asked myself this question several times and did not come to a definite answer. I guess I will plan to build the house of my dreams and then think about what to do with the rest of the money.

Can you share an interesting fact about yourself?

I don’t know if it is interesting or weird, but I have been studying games of chance and writing about them for 25 years now, and have never gambled during this period (except for a few bets I placed for fun on the victory of my favorite soccer team). I am frequently asked why, and I don’t have a straight answer, as I don’t have one to the question of what is my favorite game. I guess it’s not specific for all gaming mathematicians, but rather because of my limited spare time, which I prefer to spend in other ways.