Lottery, Bingo & Number Games

Lottery jackpot odds

Lottery jackpot odds are the probability of winning the top prize in a lottery game, usually expressed as a ratio such as 1 in 13,983,816.

Formula: For a pool of P balls, choosing T and matching W winners: Pr = (C(T,M) × C(P-T,W-M)) / C(P,W)²
Powerball odds: 1 in 292,201,338³
EuroMillions odds: 1 in 139,838,160⁵

Key points

Odds depend on the number pool, how many numbers must be chosen, and whether bonus balls are used.¹²
A 6-from-49 lotto (e.g. Lotto 6/49) has jackpot odds of 1 in 13,983,816.¹³
The UK Lotto jackpot odds are 1 in 45,057,474; Lotto Max odds are 1 in 33,294,800.⁴⁶

Common questions

What are the odds of winning the lottery?

The odds of winning a lottery jackpot depend on the game format. For example, Powerball odds are 1 in 292,201,338, while a standard 6-from-49 lotto gives odds of 1 in 13,983,816.¹³

What are good odds in a lottery?

Good odds are relative: a 6-from-49 game (1 in 13,983,816) is far better than Powerball (1 in 292,201,338). No common lottery offers odds better than about 1 in several million.¹³

Where this term is used

Not the same as

Jackpot lottery — a game type that offers a jackpot, whereas lottery jackpot odds is the probability of winning that prize

Lottery & bingo Jackpot lottery A lottery game that offers a top prize, often a large jackpot. Lottery & bingo Lottery A game of chance where players buy tickets for a draw. Lottery & bingo Lottery scratchcards Instant-win lottery tickets with pre-printed results. Lottery & bingo Pick 3 lottery A daily lottery where players choose three numbers. Lottery & bingo Annuity vs lump sum lottery How lottery jackpots can be paid out over time or as a single cash sum. Lottery & bingo Beat lottery Strategies and systems that claim to improve lottery winning chances.

Sources

Lottery en.wikipedia.org Provides general lottery odds and examples for Powerball and 6/49.
Lottery mathematics en.wikipedia.org Gives the mathematical formula for calculating lottery odds.
Powerball en.wikipedia.org Supplies the specific Powerball jackpot odds figure.
National Lottery (United Kingdom) en.wikipedia.org Provides UK Lotto jackpot odds.
Eurojackpot - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Supplies the EuroMillions jackpot odds figure of 1 in 139,838,160.
Lotto Max en.wikipedia.org Provides Lotto Max jackpot odds.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.