CHATROOM

What Are The Odds Of Winning the Lotto?

September 3, 2009 at 8:15 am
by Timothy Sykes

Watch these 7 free video lessons on how I became a millionaire

You know the slogan “you can’t win if you don’t play”…THIS article says no:

You’ve got to play a lot to win

A: False. While it’s true that Mega Millions winner Geraldine Williams regularly played games of chance – she won $1,000 at the Foxwoods Casino two weeks before her big win — spending lots of money doesn’t always do much for your chances. For instance, the odds of winning the Mega Millions are 1 in 135,145,920. Buying two tickets bumps your odds only to 2 in 135,145,920.
Of course, you have to buy a ticket to win. The average player nationwide spends $150 a year, according to the 1998 National Survey on Gambling. Some states have averages several times higher than that.

Let’s put these odds into perspective HERE:

Everyone knows that the probability of winning the lottery is a pretty big long shot. How long, however, you probably never really thought about. Your actual odds of winning the lottery depend on where you play, but single state lotteries usually have odds of about 18 million to 1 while multiple state lotteries have odds as high as 120 million to 1.

If you have ever thought you’d win the lottery, you’re not alone. About one out of every three people in the United States think that winning the lottery is the only way to become financially secure in their life. This is a frightening statistic when you sit down and consider what the above odds really mean.

It’s time to take a long hard look at the chances of you winning the lottery. While winning the lottery may be something that you want, to show you your chances we’ll take a look at a number of remote occurrences that you probably wouldn’t like to have happen to you – and probably don’t think will ever happen to you – but are still much more likely to happen to you than winning the lottery.

How about the classic odds of being struck by lightning? The actual probability of this happening varies from year to year, but as a good estimate, the National Safety Council says between 70 and 120 people a year die in the US by lightning – so let’s take 100 as our base. With the US population being approximately 265 million people, that means that the chances of being killed by lightning are roughly 2,650,000 to 1. Not very likely. However you are still 6 to 45 times more likely to die from a lightning strike than you would be to win the lottery.

Now nobody really wants to die from flesh eating bacteria, and with odds at about 1 million to 1, the chances that you will die that way are pretty slim. Then again, you are 18 to 120 times more likely to die this way than to win the lottery.

What are the chances that if you’re playing with a group of four that two of you will get a hole-in-one on the exact same hole? At 17 million to 1, they’re better than the chances of you winning the lottery.

What about dieing from a snake bite or bee sting? It probably isn’t a way that you have imagined that you would leave the earth. You’re a whopping 180 to 1,200 times more likely to die from one of these incidents than win the lottery. That’s because the probability of dieing from a snake bite or bee sting is about 100,000 to 1.

Now I know that you are not a bad person and you don’t imagine finding yourself on death row for a crime you committed anytime soon. Still, it’s a lot more likely that you will be legally executed than win the lottery. In fact, you are 30,000% to 200,000% more likely to die in a legal execution than to win the lottery.

Or If I told you that you were 450,000 to 3,000,000 times more likely to die in an asteroid collision in the year 2029 than to win the lottery, what would you think? Well, these are in fact the odds according to this report at space.com.

If none of the above has convinced you to stop playing the lottery, then I’ll bring out my favorite lottery fact. If you drive 10 miles to purchase your lottery ticket, it’s three to twenty times more likely for you to be killed in a car accident along the way than to win the jackpot.

Check out THIS article that has the odds for all sorts of crazy stuff:

Who isn’t daydreaming of what we would do with tonight’s $340 million Powerball jackpot?
C’mon, you know you are. Against massive odds, someone eventually will win the money.

But what are the odds?

A player buying a $1 ticket has a 1 in 146,107,962 chance of matching the exact six numbers needed to win tonight’s $340 million record jackpot. No one has had all six numbers in the 19 drawings since Aug. 10.

The more specific figures are based on 2001 research, the most recent year for which complete data is available. All figures below are for U.S. residents.

Odds of being struck by lightning: 1 in 576,000

Odds of dating a supermodel: 1 in 88,000

Odds of an American home having at least one container of ice cream in the freezer: 9 in 10

Odds of dying from contact with hot tap water: 1 in 5,005,564

Odds of writing a New York Times best seller: 1 in 220

Odds of finding a four-leaf clover on the first try: 1 in 10,000

Odds of being killed by lightning: 1 in 2,320,000

Odds of being murdered: 1 in 18,000

Odds of getting away with murder: 1 in 2

Odds of being attacked by a dog: 1 in 131,890

Odds of dying from a dog bite: 1 in 700,000

Odds of being bitten by a snake, bee or other venomous creature: 1 in 83,930

Odds of dying from contact with a venomous animal or plant: 1 in 3,441,325

Odds of dying from any kind of injury during the next year: 1 in 1,820

Odds of dying from being bitten or struck by mammals (other than dogs or humans): 1 in 4,235,477

Odds of dying from a shark attack: 1 in 300,000,000

Odds of having fraternal twins: 3 in 1,000 (for a woman younger than 20)

Odds of having fraternal twins: 14 in 1,000 (for women ages 35-40)

Odds that a person between the age of 18 and 29 does not read a newspaper regularly: 1 in 3

Odds that an adult does not want to live to age 120 under any circumstances: 2 in 3

Odds of being considered possessed by Satan: 1 in 7,000

Odds that a first marriage will survive without separation or divorce for 15 years: 1 in 1.3

Odds that a celebrity marriage will last a lifetime: 1 in 3

Odds of getting hemorrhoids: 1 in 25

Odds of being born a twin in North America: 1 in 90

Odds of being on plane with a drunken pilot: 1 in 117

Odds of being audited by the IRS: 1 in 175

Odds of having your identity stolen: 1 in 200

Odds of dating a millionaire: 1 in 215

Odds of finding out your child is a genius: 1 in 250

Odds of catching a ball at a major league ballgame: 1 in 563

Odds of becoming a pro athlete: 1 in 22,000

Odds of a person in the military winning the Medal of Honor: 1 in 11,000

Odds of winning an Academy Award: 1 in 11,500

Odds of striking it rich on Antiques Roadshow: 1 in 60,000

Odds of getting a royal flush in poker on first five cards dealt: 1 in 649,740

Odds of becoming a saint: 1 in 20,000,000

Odds of becoming president: 1 in 10,000,000

Odds of a meteor landing on your house: 1 in 182,138,880,000,000

Odds of dying from intentional self-harm: 1 in 9,380

Odds that Earth will experience a catastrophic collision with an asteroid in the next 100 years: 1 in 5,560

Odds of dying in such a collision: 1 in 20,000

Odds of experiencing an earthquake: 1 in 100,000

Odds of dying from exposure to forces of nature (heat, cold, lightning, earthquake, flood): 1 in 225,107

Odds of dying in an airplane accident: 1 in 354,319

Odds of dying from choking on food: 1 in 370,035

Odds of dying in a terrorist attack while visiting a foreign country: 1 in 650,000

Odds of dying in a fireworks accident: 1 in 1,000,000

Odds of dying from overexertion, travel or privation: 1 in 1,428,377

Odds of dying from food poisoning: 1 in 3,000,000

Odds of dying from legal execution: 1 in 3,441,325

Odds of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 1 in 10,000,000

Odds of dying from ignition or melting of nightwear: 1 in 30,589,556

Odds of spotting a UFO today: 1 in 3,000,000

Odds of contracting the human version of mad cow disease: 1 in 40,000,000

Odds of injury from fireworks: 1 in 19,556

Odds of injury from shaving: 1 in 6,585

Odds of injury from using a chain saw: 1 in 4,464

Odds of injury from mowing the lawn: 1 in 3,623

Odds of fatally slipping in bath or shower: 1 in 2,232

Odds of drowning in a bathtub: 1 in 685,000

Odds of being the victim of serious crime in your lifetime: 1 in 20

Odds of dying from a car accident: 1 in 18,585

Odds of dying from any kind of fall: 1 in 20,666

Odds of dying from accidental drowning: 1 in 79,065

Sources: “Life: The Odds,” by Gregory Baer; National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Lung Association; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; Clark Chapman, SwRI; David Morrison, NASA; Michael Paine, Planetary Society Australian Volunteers

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  • http://trackstand.com Trackstand

    Funny article considering my sister won the lottery four months ago.

  • http://trackstand.com Trackstand

    Funny article considering my sister won the lottery four months ago.

  • http://trackstand.com Trackstand

    Funny article considering my sister won the lottery four months ago.

  • Kevin

    What were the odds that I would see this article here!

  • bobbymapp

    i bet the odds of two siblings winning the lottery are even more astronomical! you’re screwed, don’t even try it!

  • Kevin

    What were the odds that I would see this article here!

  • Kevin

    What were the odds that I would see this article here!

  • bobbymapp

    i bet the odds of two siblings winning the lottery are even more astronomical! you're screwed, don't even try it!

  • bobbymapp

    i bet the odds of two siblings winning the lottery are even more astronomical! you're screwed, don't even try it!

  • Anonymous

    Just a quick note… if the odds of winning the lotto jackpot are 1:135 million and the jackpot to be won by a $1 lotto ticket is at $135 million then playing the lotto becomes a “good investment.” Your expected return on $1 is $1.

    Now, there are several factors that make the actual jackpot size required to make the lotto a good investment much higher than $135 million… most notably are the tax considerations and fact that the actual jackpot is much smaller than $135 million (that’s the annuity payoff option amount). So if you’re going to play the lotto, at least wait until the jackpot is sufficiently high.

    While I’m here: +$1,930 in SCLN… not exactly a TIM profit, but a profit all the same.

  • El_Cordobes

    Just a quick note… if the odds of winning the lotto jackpot are 1:135 million and the jackpot to be won by a $1 lotto ticket is at $135 million then playing the lotto becomes a “good investment.” Your expected return on $1 is $1.

    Now, there are several factors that make the actual jackpot size required to make the lotto a good investment much higher than $135 million… most notably are the tax considerations and fact that the actual jackpot is much smaller than $135 million (that's the annuity payoff option amount). So if you're going to play the lotto, at least wait until the jackpot is sufficiently high.

    While I'm here: +$1,930 in SCLN… not exactly a TIM profit, but a profit all the same.

  • El_Cordobes

    Just a quick note… if the odds of winning the lotto jackpot are 1:135 million and the jackpot to be won by a $1 lotto ticket is at $135 million then playing the lotto becomes a “good investment.” Your expected return on $1 is $1.

    Now, there are several factors that make the actual jackpot size required to make the lotto a good investment much higher than $135 million… most notably are the tax considerations and fact that the actual jackpot is much smaller than $135 million (that's the annuity payoff option amount). So if you're going to play the lotto, at least wait until the jackpot is sufficiently high.

    While I'm here: +$1,930 in SCLN… not exactly a TIM profit, but a profit all the same.

  • LotteryHelp

    The odds of winning the lotto jackpot are 1:135 million and the jackpot to be won by a $1 lotto ticket is at $135 million then playing the Lottery Numbers becomes a “good investment.” Your expected return on $1 is $1.

  • LotteryHelp

    The odds of winning the lotto jackpot are 1:135 million and the jackpot to be won by a $1 lotto ticket is at $135 million then playing the Lottery Numbers becomes a “good investment.” Your expected return on $1 is $1.

  • Name

    Firstly, in my view the odds can nontheless increased significantly if you follow a system for example strictly focusing on a pre determined group of numbers. My point is if you have a system, then stick to it, improved it often coz the payoff is well worth it. The truth in my view is while lotto may be random, there are still strategies to take advantages of it.

  • Name

    Firstly, in my view the odds can nontheless increased significantly if you follow a system for example strictly focusing on a pre determined group of numbers. My point is if you have a system, then stick to it, improved it often coz the payoff is well worth it. The truth in my view is while lotto may be random, there are still strategies to take advantages of it.

  • Name

    Firstly, in my view the odds can nontheless increased significantly if you follow a system for example strictly focusing on a pre determined group of numbers. My point is if you have a system, then stick to it, improved it often coz the payoff is well worth it. The truth in my view is while lotto may be random, there are still strategies to take advantages of it.

  • Anonymous

    First, in order for you to advance in life beyond your current station, you’re going to have to accept and understand the following: there is simply no way of legally increasing your odds of winning the lotto on any given ticket.

    Luckily for most of us (yes, that’s a jab at you), one can improve his chances of making winning stock trades by buying the right stocks at the right times. Tim has significantly increased his probability of making winning trades through his methods outlined in the DVDs and elaborated upon each day in his watchlist.

    Second, was there another comment that got deleted or something Tim? Looks like one shows up on the “Latest Comments” tab on the homepage, but it’s not here.

  • El_Cordobes

    First, in order for you to advance in life beyond your current station, you're going to have to accept and understand the following: there is simply no way of legally increasing your odds of winning the lotto on any given ticket.

    Luckily for most of us (yes, that's a jab at you), one can improve his chances of making winning stock trades by buying the right stocks at the right times. Tim has significantly increased his probability of making winning trades through his methods outlined in the DVDs and elaborated upon each day in his watchlist.

    Second, was there another comment that got deleted or something Tim? Looks like one shows up on the “Latest Comments” tab on the homepage, but it's not here.

  • El_Cordobes

    First, in order for you to advance in life beyond your current station, you're going to have to accept and understand the following: there is simply no way of legally increasing your odds of winning the lotto on any given ticket.

    Luckily for most of us (yes, that's a jab at you), one can improve his chances of making winning stock trades by buying the right stocks at the right times. Tim has significantly increased his probability of making winning trades through his methods outlined in the DVDs and elaborated upon each day in his watchlist.

    Second, was there another comment that got deleted or something Tim? Looks like one shows up on the “Latest Comments” tab on the homepage, but it's not here.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com Annuity Purchaser

    This tightly focused on a predetermined set of numbers. These have a system, then stick to it and The improvement is often the profit is worth it. The truth is that while the lottery might be random.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com sellstructuredsettlement

    I loved how you put these statistics to work to show how slim our chances are of winning the lottery.  I dont think that people realistically look at these things.  And I think of all the money spent on lottery tickets.  Boy oh boy, what I could do with that money.  So I have to wonder is the taking the chances worth it.

  • Anonymous

    Odds are Odds life is a chance ………odds are u can walk out your front door tommorw and get hit by a car but who wants to think that way ……..try your odds at sometning a little more fun!

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com structuredsettlementbuyer

    Great use of comparison items here.  I guess we do face odds everyday.  We dont have to push those odds though do we.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com Annuity Purchaser

    The odds of winning the lottery is like the chance of being struck by lighting only worse,it’s a poor mans tax.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com CashforStructuredSettlements

    This is very informative.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com Annuity Purchaser

    So many “odds” in the world. We all just wish to beat the odds on this one. Great aritcle though!

  • Sellyourannuity

    Great comparision on all the odds we face each day.

  • Anonymous

    Personally I think you have to play an extreme amount to even have a slight chane of winning the lottery.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com structuredsettlement

    I am there with you about what I could do with the money that is spent on Lotteries.  Yes, it may be fun, but I just think that money can be spent a little more wisely.

  • http://www.sovereignfunding.com structuredsettlement

    When seeing what the odds are at winning a lottery and seeing that other things are more likely to happen to you, it amazes me that anyone ever wins the lottery at all before something else does happen to them.

  • Anonymous

    I just found it so interesting to read I enjoyed your article thanks.