Lottery Odds Calculator

Calculate exact odds for Powerball, Mega Millions, or any custom lottery format. See every prize tier probability and put jackpot odds in perspective.

Game Parameters
Main Pool
Picks
Bonus Pool
Bonus Picks
Jackpot Odds
1 in 292,201,338
Any Prize Odds
1 in 25
Win Probability
4.02%
Full Odds Breakdown
MatchOdds (1 in X)ProbabilityPrize
5 + PB1 in 292,201,3383.42e-9JACKPOT
51 in 11,688,0548.56e-8$1,000,000
4 + PB1 in 913,1290.00000110$50,000
41 in 36,5250.00002738$100
3 + PB1 in 14,4940.00006899$100
2 + PB1 in 7010.001426$7
31 in 5800.001725$7
1 + PB1 in 921.0872%$4
PB only1 in 382.6093%$4
21 in 283.5647%--
11 in 427.1806%--
01 in 265.2334%--
Odds in Perspective
⚡You're 19,098x more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 15,300) than to hit the jackpot.
🎫Buying 2 tickets per week, you'd need 2,809,628 years to statistically expect one jackpot.
🎲Your chance of winning any prize is about 1 in 25 — roughly 4.0% per ticket.
🌎If every person in a city of 73,050,335 bought 4 tickets, only one would expect to hit the jackpot.

How Do Lottery Odds Work?

Lottery odds are determined by the hypergeometric distribution. The probability of matching exactly k numbers depends on the pool size and how many numbers are drawn. Larger pools mean longer odds. Powerball's 5/69 + 1/26 format produces jackpot odds of 1 in 292 million, while Mega Millions' 5/70 + 1/25 yields 1 in 302 million.

Jackpot Odds in Perspective

At 1 in 292 million, you are about 19,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning in a given year. If you bought one ticket per week, you would expect to win the Powerball jackpot once every 5.6 million years. These numbers underscore why lottery tickets should be viewed as entertainment, not investment.

Custom Lottery Odds

Use the custom mode above to calculate odds for any lottery format worldwide. Enter the main pool size, number of picks, and optional bonus pool to see every prize tier's exact probability. This works for EuroMillions, UK Lotto, or any pick-style lottery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. You must match all 5 white balls (from 1-69) plus the red Powerball (from 1-26). The odds of winning any prize are much better at approximately 1 in 24.9.
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. You must match 5 white balls (from 1-70) plus the gold Mega Ball (from 1-25). The overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 24.0.
How are lottery odds calculated?
Lottery odds use the hypergeometric probability formula. For matching k balls from a pool of N where n are drawn: P = C(n,k) × C(N-n, n-k) / C(N,n), where C is the binomial coefficient. For games with a bonus ball, the main pool and bonus pool probabilities are multiplied together.
Which lottery has the best odds?
Among major US lotteries, games with smaller pools have better jackpot odds. State lotteries like Cash 5 (1 in ~575,757) offer much better odds than Powerball or Mega Millions, though jackpots are proportionally smaller. The odds-to-prize ratio is roughly constant across games.

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