Brain Teasers
Lottery Odds
Probability
Probability puzzles require you to weigh all the possibilities and pick the most likely outcome.Probability
What are your odds of winning the lottery?
Answer
It depends on how many numbers are in your game.In Ireland, there are 42 numbers (I think!)
You have to pick the six winners as follows:
The first ball can be any of the six:
Your chance of getting the first ball is:
6/42
Next ball can be any of the 5 left, but the number of balls is gone down by one:
5/41
and so on. 4/40, 3/39, 2/38, 1/37
so its 6*5*4*3*2*1/42*41*40*39*38*37
=720/3776965920
That works out at 1/5,245,786
We pay 2euro for a chance to win maybe 2million euro (estimate) so you can see how the money is made.
If one person wins, then chances are there are about 5 million people playing (statistically) 10 million euro raised.
Although there are other prizes given out for match 5 numbers etc.
For your lottery you can follow the same pattern to work out your odds!
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