Every week millions of Australians are hanging out for lotto results. With tickets in hand (or more commonly now, an app open), we all start spending those jackpot dollars in our minds. With Lantern Club’s new Lucky 8’s promotion, we’ve got lucky fever. You could win up to $25,000 twice a week, when we play Lucky 8’s here at the club. It made us think about all those people who play the lotto each week. Is that old saying ‘you’re more likely to be hit by a bus’ actually true? We decided to crunch the numbers and see just how lucky you need to be to win Lotto.
Lotto results: The odds
To work out which lotto results are best in your favour, we calculated not only the probability of having the winning ticket, but also the total cost of buying out all combinations. Now of course you’d have to be mega, mega rich to be able to buy out all combinations of a lottery. But what that number indicates is the best odds relative to the same spend. The lower the total cost, the further your dollar will go towards winning.
It also shows whether the jackpot total is at great value. As said above, you’d need to be filthy rich to buy every ticket possible of a win. If the value of the jackpot is higher than the cost of buying all the possible combinations, you could make a profit from the difference…if nobody else has also bought the winning ticket and divides the prize!
Bus vs Lotto
Unfortunately, if you go through the numbers below, you’ll probably come to the same conclusion we did. Yes – getting hit by a bus is far more likely than winning lotto. Take this example: The odds of winning Powerball is one in three times Australia’s population! This means if every person in the country had a single game ticket with a unique number combination, there’s still only a one in three chance of someone actually winning!
Australian Lottery Odds
OZ Lotto
7 balls (plus 2 supplementary), numbers range 1 to 45
Odds of winning top result: 45/7 x 44/6 x 43/5 x 42/4 x 41/3 x 40/2 x 39/1 = 1 in 45,379,620
Cost per ticket: $1.45
Total cost of all combinations: $65,800,449
For OZ Lotto results, click here.
Powerball
6 balls with number range 1 to 40, 1 to 20 for ‘Powerball’
Odds of winning top result: 40/6 x 39/5 x 38/4 x 37/3 x 36/2 x 35/1 x 20/1 = 1 in 76,767,600
Cost per ticket: $1.05
Total cost of all combinations: $80,605,980
For Powerball results, click here.
Keno
20 balls, 1 to 80
Odds of winning top (10 number game): 80/20 x 79/19 x 78/18 x 77/17 x 76/16 x 75/15 x 74/14 x 73/13 x 72/12 x 71/11 = 1 in 8,911,711
Cost per ticket: $1
Total cost of guaranteed win: $8,911,711
For Keno results, click here.
Lotteries from around the world
World Millions
Eight numbers, 0 to 9
Odds of winning top result: 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 1 in 1,000,000,000
Cost per ticket (for 1/10th prize): $0.50
Total cost of all combinations: $500,000,000
For World Millions Lotto results, click here.
US Powerball
Five balls 1 to 69, plus one ball 1 to 26
Odds of winning top result: 69/5 x 68/4 x 67/3 x 66/2 x 65/1 x 26/1 = 1 in 224,770,260
Cost per ticket: $5
Total cost of all combinations: $1,123,851,300
For US Powerball Lotto results, click here.
US MegaMillions
Five balls 1 to 75, One ball 1 to 15
Odds of winning top result: 75/5 x 74/4 x 73/3 x 72/2 x 71/1 x 15/1 = 1,258,890,850
Cost per ticket: $5
Total cost of all combinations: $1,294,454,250
For US MegaMillions Lotto results, click here.
EuroJackpot
Five balls, 1 to 50, One ball 1 to 10
Odds of winning top result: 50/5 x 49/4 x 48/3 x 47/2 x 46/1 x 10/1 = 1 in 21,187,600
Cost per ticket: $4
Total cost of all combinations: $84,750,400
For EuroJackpot Lotto results, click here.
EuroMillions
Five balls, 1 to 50, one ball 1 to 12
Odds of winning top result: 50/5 x 49/4 x 48/3 x 47/2 x 46/1 x 12/1 = 1 in 25,425,120
Cost per ticket: $5
Total cost of all combinations: $127,125,600
For EuroMillions Lotto results, click here.
SuperEnalotto
Six balls, 1 to 90
Odds of winning top result: 90/6 x 89/5 x 88/4 x 87/3 x 86/2 x 85/1 = 1 in 43,949,268
Cost per ticket: $3
Total cost of all combinations: $131,847,804
For SuperEnalotto Lotto results, click here.
Cash4Life
Five balls, 1 to 60, One ball 1 to 4
Odds of winning top result: 60/5 x 59/4 x 58/3 x 57/2 x 56/1 x 4/1 = 1 in 21,846,048
Cost per ticket: $2.5
Total cost of all combinations: $54,615,120
For Cash4Life Lotto results, click here.
Spanish El Gordo
100,000 tickets
Odds of winning top result: 1/100000
Cost per ticket (for 100% prize share): $379.99
Total cost of entire pot: $37,999,000
For Spanish Summer Lotto results, click here.
UK Lotto
Six balls, 1 to 59
Odds of winning top result: 59/6 x 58/5 x 57/4 x 56/3 x 55/2 x 55/21 = 1 in 45,057,474
Cost per ticket: $4.5
Total cost of all combinations: $ 202,758,633
For UK Lotto results, click here.
Swedish Lotto
7 numbers, 1-35
Odds of winning top result: 35/7 x 34/6 x 33/5 x 32/4 x 31/3 x 30/2 x 29/2 x 28/1 = 1 in 23,535,820
Cost per ticket: $4.00
Total cost of all combinations: $ 94,143,280
For Swedish Lotto results, click here.
German Lotto
6 balls, 1 to 49
Odds of winning top result: 49/6 x 48/5 x 47/4 x 46/3 x 45/2 x 44/1 = 1 in 13,983,816
Cost per ticket: $8.00
Total cost of all combinations: $111,870,528
For German Lotto results, click here.
French Lotto
5 balls, 1 to 49 plus 1 ball 1-10
Odds of winning top result: 49/5 x 48/4 x 47/3 x 46/2 x 45/1 x 10/1 = 1 in 19,068,840
Cost per ticket: $4.25
Total cost of all combinations: $136,984,320
For French Lotto results, click here.
Lantern Club’s Lucky 8’s Promotion
Every Sunday and Wednesday evening, not one but five lucky members will be called up to play Lantern Club’s new Lucky 8’s promotion.
Each player will get to spin the grand wheel, with a 1 in 50 chance of landing on the jackpot wedge. which can reach as high as $25,088! But they all have a 100% chance of landing a cash prize of some sort.
So what’s the cost of entry? That’s the best part! Entry into Lucky 8’s is a reward for your spending at Lantern Club. It’s a reward back to you for your loyalty.
In fact, you’ll even get an entry into the promotion purely by visiting Lantern Club and swiping your membership card at the Reward Kiosk. 1 ticket per day.
For more information about Lucky 8’s, click here.