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$300 Million Big Game odds of winning

E

EyeOfThe

Senior member
They say that the odds of winning are 1 in 76 million.

How do they come up with that number????

As I figure it, the odds of a single set of numbers winning would be:

50*49*48*47*46*36 = 9,153,043,200

which is a heck of a lot worse odds than 1/76 million. 120 times worse odds actually.

So how do they come up with that number? Is it a scam to make people think they have "some" chance of winning?

FYI - the Big Game Lottery chooses five numbers between 1 and 50 and a sixth special ball between 1 and 36.

 
well let's see. i bought 5 numbers for the big game, $300 million game, just today. if i can buy five, how many do you think the average person is gonna buy? i'd say that your probably correct if your saying the odds on winning w/ 1 number but the odds of 1 person winning would be based on how many numbers the average person buys. yes?
 
It"s because the last number has to be "drawn" in order. The first 5 numbers can be in any order but the last number drawn has to be the last number on your ticket. It is usually called the "power ball number" or something.
This greatly increases the odds of winning.
 


<< 50*49*48*47*46*36 = 9,153,043,200
 >>



This is the odds of winning the jackpot. You can win smaller prizes (matching only 4 numbers etc.) and the odds of winning something is 1 in 76 million.
 
They say the odds of winning the JACKPOT is 1/76 million.

The odds of winning something they say is like 1/30 or so.
 


<< 50*49*48*47*46*36 = 9,153,043,200 >>



That would be the odds if you had to choose all the numbers in the correct order. For example: if the jackpot was
1-5-10-32-16-Powerball 2
And that was the only possible winning combination, then you would be correct.

However there are 120 possible winning combinations. This also wins:
5-1-10-32-16-Powerball 2
and this:
1-5-32-10-16-Powerball 2
and there are 117 other winning combinations.

Since you can have five numbers in any order you must divide by factorial(5). The factorial of 5 is equal to 1*2*3*4*5 = 120. Thus the real chance of winning is:
1 in (50*49*48*47*46*36)/120 = 1 in 76,275,360.
 


<< They say the odds of winning the JACKPOT is 1/76 million.

The odds of winning something they say is like 1/30 or so.

>>



Opps, my mistake. 😱

Dullard had the correct explanation. 🙂
 
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