SPOKANE, Wash. — Mega Millions has yet another billion-dollar jackpot, generating a lot of interest and ticket sales ahead of the next drawing.
Several viewers reached out to our Verify team with questions about the Mega Millions game and the odds of winning. Do those odds change as the jackpot grows? Let's Verify.
THE QUESTION
Do the odds of winning Mega Millions change depending on how many tickets are sold or how long it has been since a winner?
THE SOURCES
Joshua Johnston, Director of Washington’s Lottery
Do odds change based on the number of tickets sold or the size of the jackpot?
According to Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. Those odds are based on how many different ways the numbers could be drawn in any game.
In Mega Millions, players choose five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 25 (the gold Mega Ball). Since the numbers stay the same in each drawing, those odds remain the same, regardless of how many tickets are sold or the size of the jackpot.
"No, the odds do not change depending on the amount of tickets sold," Johnston explained. "It doesn't matter if [the jackpot] is $20 million or a $1 billion.
Do the odds of winning improve if no one has won in a long time?
As we previously explained, the odds of any one ticket or set of numbers winning the Mega Millions jackpot do not change from drawing to drawing. However, Johnston said the likelihood of someone winning the jackpot does increase with bigger jackpots, but only because more people get in the game.
"The odds of the jackpot getting hit do increase, because we're seeing a lot more people play," he said. "So, the more people that play, the more combinations that are being used, and therefore the likelihood of it getting hit does go up."
Do the odds change if I let the computer pick random numbers versus using my own?
When it comes to picking numbers, some players swear by their own lucky numbers while others prefer the random numbers of a Quick Pick. While you might have your preference, it doesn't affect your odds of winning.
"If there's a number combination of significance to you, you know, continue to use that. It's kind of fun," Johnston said. "If you're new to the game, and you don't know really what you're doing, Quick Pick is just a really nice, easy way to get into it."
Is there a way to improve your odds of winning?
There is one way to improve your odds of winning, although your chances will remain extremely low.
"If somebody is looking for a way to improve their chances of winning, that is by purchasing more tickets," Johnston said. "You have just a greater opportunity."
- If you purchase one ticket, your odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.
- Purchase two tickets, your odds increase to 2 in 302,575,350.
- Purchase three different tickets and your odds are up to 3 in 302,575,350
While your odds are increasing with each ticket purchased, they remain infinitesimally small.
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