Lottery odds compared
The easiest jackpot in this table is Lotofácil at 1 in 3,268,760; the hardest is SuperEnalotto at 1 in 622,614,630. The two American giants sit close together: Powerball 1 in 292,201,338, Mega Millions 1 in 290,472,336.
| Lottery | Where | Format | Jackpot | Any prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuperEnalotto | Italy | 6/90 + bonus | 1 in 622,614,630 | 1 in 20.1 |
| Powerball | United States | 5/69 + 1/26 | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 24.9 |
| Mega Millions | United States | 5/70 + 1/24 | 1 in 290,472,336 | 1 in 23.1 |
| EuroMillions | Europe | 5/50 + 2/12 | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 13.0 |
| Eurojackpot | Europe | 5/50 + 2/12 | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 31.8 |
| La Primitiva | Spain | 6/49 + bonus | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 53.7 |
| Mega-Sena | Brazil | 6/60 | 1 in 50,063,860 | 1 in 2,298 |
| UK Lotto | United Kingdom | 6/59 + bonus | 1 in 45,057,474 | 1 in 9.2 |
| Quina | Brazil | 5/80 | 1 in 24,040,016 | 1 in 34.2 |
| Lotto 6/49 | Canada | 6/49 + bonus | 1 in 13,983,816 | 1 in 6.6 |
| Bonoloto | Spain | 6/49 + bonus | 1 in 13,983,816 | 1 in 53.7 |
| Lotofácil | Brazil | 15/25 | 1 in 3,268,760 | 1 in 9.4 |
How to read the table
Format is what you pick and what is drawn. "5/69 + 1/26" means five numbers from 1 to 69 and one more from a separate pool of 26. "+ bonus" means one extra ball is drawn from the main pool after the main numbers, and only helps a ticket that already matched most of them.
Jackpot is the chance that one standard ticket wins the top prize in one draw. Any prize adds up every prize tier the game pays, the smallest included; in some games the smallest prize is only a free ticket or your stake back.
Why the jackpots differ so much
The number of possible tickets grows very fast with the size of the pools. Choosing 6 numbers from 49 gives 13,983,816 combinations; from 60 it gives 50,063,860; from 90 it gives 622,614,630. A second pool multiplies the count again: EuroMillions' two stars from 12 multiply its 5-of-50 draw by 66.
A harder jackpot is not a worse lottery in itself. It usually means a bigger jackpot and more prize tiers underneath. What matters for your wallet is how much of every ticket comes back as prizes, which is the subject of is a ticket worth it?
What no table can tell you
Odds are the same for every combination and every draw. No number is due, no pattern is luckier, and past draws change nothing about the next one. Our lottery myths page shows why, with the numbers.
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