Mega Millions jackpot odds are low

(NEXSTAR) — After another no-winner draw on Friday, the Mega Millions jackpot is Estimated $820 million before the next draw.

The jackpot has been on the rise since April and will continue to do so until a ticket matches all six numbers in the draw. It is currently the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time, second only to the $1.05 billion won in the 2021 Michigan ticket.

If you, like millions of others, are ready to try your luck in the Mega Millions Pot, you should know that your odds of winning are approximately 1 in 302.6 million. Slightly worse odds than winning the Powerball jackpot.You are more likely to be attacked by grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park (approximately 1 in 2.7 million Alligators in Florida (approximately 1 in 3.1 million, according to state statistics) Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).

But is it possible to increase the odds?

Some data suggests that certain numbers are more likely to win. Since the main ball pool moved from 75 to 70 and the mega ball pool increased from 15 to 25 in October 2017, the five most frequently drawn white balls are 14, 10, 17, 46 and 3, and the most frequently drawn gold mega balls are 22, 11, 9, 19 and 4 (None of these were drawn in Friday’s lottery).

Just a few of the above mentioned Numbers have been ‘hot’ since the last Mega Millions jackpot won.

Perhaps the emphasis is on choosing the right combination of numbers above. If so, you may want to reconsider.

As Ron ChenDistinguished Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Statistics. Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Rutgers University New Brunswick explains that all combinations of numbers have the same probability of winning (1 in 302.6 million). in short, numbers drawn on friday The odds of being drawn again on Tuesday are the same.

However, you can also choose numbers that other people are unlikely to choose. This will not increase your odds of winning, but it may decrease your odds of sharing the Mega Millions jackpot with other winners. To that end, Chen suggests avoiding numbers from 1 to 31 (many people prefer to use birthdays or other dates when choosing numbers) and numbers on the edges or corners of ticket paper.

However, the odds of winning remain the same.

You may have heard of other methods lottery players use to increase their chances of winning.there is lottery — select a group of numbers and play all combinations or permutations of those numbers — or Select “hot” or “cold” numbers. That is, either recently elected or not.some people try delta lotto systemwhich uses a bit of math to reduce the number of digits to choose from, but many have noted that probabilities are not taken into account.

Unfortunately, the draw will not take place on Friday the 13th, the lucky day for the Mega Millions jackpot (the draw will not take place until October). Throughout the history of the game, Friday the 13th hit his jackpot six times. However, this shouldn’t be too surprising. Draws are held on Tuesdays and Fridays, and such Fridays are usually he or he twice a year.

Michigan, or perhaps, if you subscribe to the “hot” or “cold” method, Most of the jackpot winning tickets have been sold. If you’re looking for a ‘cold’ state that hasn’t had any Mega Millions jackpots recently, you may want to visit: 18 states with no big winners at all.

However, as Chen and other mathematicians have noted, Said, There is no number, combination or method to increase your chances of winning the Mega Millions Jackpot. However, you can increase your chances by simply purchasing more tickets. Buying 100 tickets reduces the odds from 1 in 302.6 million to about 1 in 3,026,000.

If you wanted to buy almost every possible number combination, it would cost you about $600 million. However, the estimated cash value of the jackpot is $422 million, so he would have spent all, or even some, of his winnings before actually winning them.

“Perfectly ‘rational’ people don’t buy lottery tickets because the expected profit is always lower than the lottery price. This is how states make money on lotteries,” Chen said in the paper. press release. “But we are not rational.”

Regardless of your own odds (just like any other player), it is important to play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem: National Gambling Problem Hotline.

The next Mega Millions draw is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:00 PM ET. Mega Millions is played in 45 states and the District of Columbia.Tickets are $2 and the total number of tickets is 9 ways to win prize.