Lottery Statistics & Odds

Jackpot odds, ticket costs, and record prizes from the major lottery games

Jackpot Odds

These odds are calculated using combinatorial mathematics

🇺🇸

Powerball

USA

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 292,201,338
Overall Odds: 1 in 24.9
Ticket Cost: $2.00
Draw Days: Mon / Wed / Sat
Tax on Winnings: Taxed
🇺🇸

Mega Millions

USA

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 302,575,350
Overall Odds: 1 in 24
Ticket Cost: $2.00
Draw Days: Tue / Fri
Tax on Winnings: Taxed
🇪🇺

EuroMillions

Europe (9 countries)

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 139,838,160
Overall Odds: 1 in 13
Ticket Cost: €2.50
Draw Days: Tue / Fri
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇪🇺

EuroJackpot

Europe (18 countries)

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 95,344,200
Overall Odds: 1 in 26
Ticket Cost: €2.00
Draw Days: Tue / Fri
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇬🇧

UK Lotto

United Kingdom

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 45,057,474
Overall Odds: 1 in 9.3
Ticket Cost: £2.00
Draw Days: Wed / Sat
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇮🇹

SuperEnalotto

Italy

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 622,614,630
Overall Odds: 1 in 25
Ticket Cost: €1.00
Draw Days: Tue / Thu / Sat
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇦🇺

Australia Powerball

Australia

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 134,490,400
Overall Odds: 1 in 44
Ticket Cost: A$1.40
Draw Days: Thursday
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇨🇦

Lotto Max

Canada

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 33,294,800
Overall Odds: 1 in 7.1
Ticket Cost: C$5.00
Draw Days: Tue / Fri
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇮🇪

Irish Lotto

Ireland

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 10,737,573
Overall Odds: 1 in 29
Ticket Cost: €2.00
Draw Days: Wed / Sat
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free
🇳🇿

New Zealand Lotto

New Zealand

Jackpot Odds: 1 in 3,838,380
Overall Odds: 1 in 3.8
Ticket Cost: NZ$1.00
Draw Days: Wed / Sat
Tax on Winnings: Tax-free

Record Jackpots

The three largest lottery prizes ever paid out, all publicly confirmed

1

🇺🇸 $2.04 Billion

Powerball - November 2022

Edwin Castro (California)

2

🇺🇸 $1.602 Billion

Mega Millions - August 2023

Anonymous (Florida)

3

🇺🇸 $1.586 Billion

Powerball - January 2016

3 winners (split)

4

🇮🇹 €371.1 Million

SuperEnalotto - February 16, 2023

Anonymous syndicate (Italy)

5

🇦🇹 €250 Million

EuroMillions - March 28, 2025

Anonymous (Austria)

6

🇦🇺 A$200 Million

Australia Powerball - February 1, 2024

Two winners (Australia)

Four Things the Math Actually Tells You

🎲 Equal Probability

Every number combination has exactly the same chance of winning. Picking 1-2-3-4-5-6 is no worse - or better - than any other set of numbers.

📊 Independent Draws

Each draw has no memory of the last one. Numbers that came up last week carry no extra weight - and numbers that haven't appeared in months aren't "due."

💡 Expected Value

On average, a lottery ticket returns less than it costs. The expected value is negative for every game, even when jackpots climb into the billions.

🎯 Lower Tier Prizes

The "overall odds" figure - like 1 in 24.9 for Powerball - counts every prize tier, not just the jackpot. The vast majority of wins are small amounts.