Powerball and Mega Millions: What are the odds of winning?

The dual Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots promise a massive return: For just $2 per ticket, you could win more than $300 million in either drawing.

Just don’t quit your day job quite yet. The odds of winning both jackpots are one in 75 quadrillion — that’s 15 zeros — according to data scientists at Allstate. You have a better chance of winning just one of the jackpots: a mere one in 290 million for Powerball and one in 258 million for Mega Millions. 

To understand how unlikely those odds are, it’s worth comparing them to the probability of other unlikely events. Americans are much more likely to get struck by lightning (odds of one in 13,500) or to die in a car accident (one in 645). While the old lottery campaign “You’ve got to be in it to win it” holds true, the real value in buying a ticket may simply be to enjoy the dream of winning.

“The way I look at it, I have friends who have played, and for $2 I get to imagine being a five hundred millionaire,” said Ben Auerbach, lead data strategist for Allstate. “That’s a feeling that very few of us will get to experience. Imagining that may be worth that cost of admission.”

The winning Powerball numbers drawn Wednesday were 12, 30, 36, 47, 62, and the Powerball number was 9. The top prize for the Powerball drawing was an estimated $307 million. 

The next drawing for Mega Millions is on Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern time.

Auerbach, who said he himself doesn’t play the lottery, said there is one of way of bettering the odds of winning: Buy more tickets. “In principle, you could go out and buy all the lottery tickets. You could buy 300 million of them and if the lottery is $302 million, you’d make money,” he quipped.

One risk of spending more money on tickets is that another person might buy a ticket with a winning number. That means the winners would split the jackpot, lowering the return on investment in the tickets. 

So who is making out in the lottery sales? Convenience stores, for one. Big jackpots tend to bring customers into gas stations and convenience stores, said Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives at the National Association of Convenience Stores. Its members sell about two-thirds of all lottery tickets in the U.S.

The giant Powerball and Mega Million jackpots are feeding on each other, with customers coming into stores to buy a ticket for one and noticing the other jackpot, he said. 

“The key thing for awareness is really, once you go into the store to buy one, there’s that screen that shows that there’s another big jackpot,” Lenard said. “It’s that digital signage inside the store that’s driving that double interest.”

Convenience stores make about a dime on a $2 ticket, or about 5 percent to 6 percent on each dollar spent. Winning stores also earn a commission, although the amount varies by state.

Lenard said he bought a ticket for each jackpot. Asked what he though of the odds, he noted, “It was a nice investment on some nice dreams. whether or not they happen, particularly lately.”

The average Americans spends about $200 a year on lottery tickets.   

Following are the odds of winning the jackpots, as calculated by Allstate, along with the chances of other unlikely events:      

• Being a victim of identity theft by the age of 40: 1 in 6
• Getting bitten by a dog while out for a jog: 1 in 133
• Getting struck by lightning during your lifetime: 1 in 3,000
• Getting a hole in one on your birthday: 1 in 25,000
• Having all of the above happen to one person: 1 in 19,900,000
• Winning Powerball: 1 in 292,201,338
• Winning Mega Millions: 1 in 258,890,850
• Winning both Powerball and Mega Millions: 1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

Share and Enjoy

Saints lose pre-season opener as A&M’s Garrett shines for Browns

CLEVELAND (AP) — After a brief, brutal and breathtaking NFL exhibition debut, Myles Garrett was asked what he didn’t do well.

“Nothing,” he said.

Finally, the beleaguered Browns may have something.

Garrett showed flashes of dominance in his first preseason game, and Cleveland rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer threw a late touchdown pass and the Browns rallied to beat New Orleans 20-14 on Thursday night while Saints stars Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson watched.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Garrett had a tackle for loss and blazed off the edge to pressure Saints backup QB Garrett Grayson in the first half.

“I played my game,” Garrett said. “I got to where I wanted to go, hustled hard and made the plays I’m supposed to make.”

The Browns haven’t solved their endless QB dilemma, but Garrett appears to be a long-term answer at defensive end.

“I thought he held his own,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “I thought when he had an opportunity to rush, he rushed well. Thought there was a little pressure here and there, he made one play in the backfield.”

Garrett vowed to “send a message” in his first preseason game as a pro, and he did just that in limited time. On one play, Garrett timed the snap perfectly and pushed past third-string tackle Khalif Barnes to hit Grayson.

“I could have got a sack, but it is what it is,” Garrett said.

Kizer was the most impressive of Cleveland’s three quarterbacks and completed a 45-yard TD pass to Jordan Payton with 1:52 left as the Browns rallied for their first preseason win in two seasons under Jackson.

Kizer finished 11 of 18 for 184 yards and had two long throws — the 45-yarder to Payton and 52-yarder to Richard Mullaney.

With his performance, Kizer may have closed the gap on Brock Osweiler and Cody Kessler. The trio have been competing throughout training camp, but Jackson isn’t ready to make one of them his starter.

“It’s way too early,” he said.

The Saints lost their 10th straight preseason game.

As expected, Brees didn’t play and neither did Peterson, New Orleans’ new addition who signed with the club as a free agent in April after 10 seasons in Minnesota.

Coach Sean Payton was disappointed with his team’s overall effort.

“I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of things to correct in that film,” said Payton, who not address any injuries.

“There are a handful of things penalty-wise, kind of sloppy. There are some plays at the end that were foolish, some substitutions that were troubling.”

And while New Orleans can count on the 38-year-old Brees to lead them, the Browns’ QB search is still stalled.

Osweiler started and struggled during his four series, Cody Kessler didn’t do much to help his cause and Kizer shook off a slow start, played the entire second half and showed off his strong arm.

Kizer said the game-winning play reminded him of his first win at Notre Dame.

“You let it go and you know you just put it right in the right spot, so that was a really cool experience there,” he said.

SITTING OUT

Saints: Brees warmed up but spent the evening on the sideline wearing a baseball cap. He’s expected to play at some point in the preseason as is Peterson, who stayed close to his QB during the first half. Rookie CB Marshon Lattimore, a first-round pick from Ohio State, injured his knee during practice this week and didn’t play.

Browns: Pro Bowler Joe Thomas got the night off. He was replaced at left tackle by Cam Erving, who is battling Shon Coleman for the starting job on the right side. Erving, who failed miserably at center, was called for a false start and hold on consecutive plays to end Cleveland’s first offensive possession.

NICE SNAG

Saints WR Tommylee Lewis made a diving catch for 32 yards and had 10 for 128 yards. Lewis is battling for a backup job.

ROOKIE WATCH:

Saints: With Mark Ingram also out, RB Alvin Kamara started. The third-round pick from Tennessee ripped off a 22-yard run and had 35 yards on four carries.

Browns: S Jabrill Peppers served as the initial kick returner. He ran back one for 27 yards, returned a punt for 13 and made a fair catch he immediately regretted. RB Matthew Dayes scored the game’s first TD on a 1-yard plunge.

CHEERIO

Saints DE Alex Jenkins, an International Pathway Initiative player from England, had a sack in his debut. He’s ineligible to be on the active roster, but will spend the entire season on the practice squad. “I dreamed of this moment for years,” he said.

INJURIES:

Saints: QB Ryan Nassib was checked for a head injury in the fourth quarter, but came back for the final drive.

Browns: Starting S Ibraheim Campbell sustained a concussion on the second play from scrimmage.

Share and Enjoy