Introduction

Have you ever wondered what the chances are of winning the lottery? In most games, “winning the lottery” means winning the jackpot—the top-tier prize. In some lotteries the second-tier prize can also be life‑changing (for example, a fixed $1,000,000 in US Mega Millions, up to $5,000,000 with the Megaplier).

The chances depend on the game’s type and rules. Bigger lotteries tend to offer bigger jackpots—but with worse odds. Jackpots may also “roll over” when no one matches the winning line, growing the top prize for the next draw. Some games fund special Superdraws or Megadraws by reserving a portion of each prize pool.

In this guide you’ll learn how lottery types are defined, how the odds are computed, and how changes in the format affect your chances. We’ll finish with a practical FAQ.

Important definitions

Definitions you need to know before reading the rest of this article.

Winning a lottery game

Means winning the highest‑tier prize, or the jackpot.

Odds of winning a lottery game

This is the probability of winning the jackpot expressed as odds.

The odds of winning a lottery game are usually given as 1 in N, where N is the number of all possible draws in the lottery. The number of possible draws depends on the type of lottery and is computed using a formula.

The type of the lottery

This defines the number of balls in the draw and the total number of balls used.

If 5 balls are drawn, the lottery is a pick‑5.
If 6 balls are drawn, the lottery is a pick‑6.
If the lottery has 35 balls and 5 are drawn, we refer to it as a 5/35 lottery.

Some lotteries also have bonus balls. These are drawn to determine extra tiers of prizes. Bonus balls can be drawn from the same set as the main draw, or from a different set. If from a different set, winning the jackpot may require hitting one or both bonus balls.

Here we focus only on simple lotteries. These are indicated as m/n, where m is the number of balls in the draw and n is the total number of balls. For example, a 6/49 lottery draws 6 numbers out of a set of 49.

There is a mathematical formula for computing the odds of winning the jackpot in a simple lottery. For lotteries that require matching exactly all drawn numbers, the odds in an m/n lottery are 1 in C(n, m).

The odds of winning (ranked)

The table below ranks different types of lotteries. The lotteries are arranged in order by the odds of winning. The odds of all lotteries in this table have been verified by lottery expert Dr. Iliya Bluskov. He is a former Mathematics professor, a researcher in Combinatorics, and the author of lotto strategies books. You can use the table to find out the chances of winning online lottery games.

Rank	Lottery type	Odds of jackpot
1	10/20	1 in 184,756
2	5/35	1 in 324,632
3	5/40	1 in 658,008
4	5/49	1 in 1,906,884
5	5/50	1 in 2,118,760
6	6/42	1 in 5,245,786
7	7/34	1 in 5,379,616
8	7/35	1 in 6,724,520
9	6/45	1 in 8,145,060
10	7/36	1 in 8,347,680
11	6/47	1 in 10,737,573
12	5/69	1 in 11,238,513
13	5/70	1 in 12,103,014
14	6/48	1 in 12,271,512
15	6/49	1 in 13,983,816
16	7/39	1 in 15,380,937
17	5/90	1 in 43,949,268
18	6/59	1 in 45,057,474
19	7/47	1 in 62,891,499
20	6/90	1 in 622,614,630
21	20/62	1 in 9,206,478,467,454,345
22	20/70	1 in 161,884,603,662,657,876
23	20/80	1 in 3,535,316,142,212,174,320
24	20/90	1 in 50,980,740,277,700,939,310

Odds shown for simple m/n lotteries (no bonus balls). For specific games, check the official rules.

More details by lottery type

Each block summarises the format and the jackpot odds for that type.

5/35 5/35 LottoOdds: 1 in 324,632

Summary: A 5/35 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 35 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 324,632.

5/40 5/40 LottoOdds: 1 in 658,008

Summary: A 5/40 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 40 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 658,008.

5/49 5/49 LottoOdds: 1 in 1,906,884

Summary: A 5/49 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 49 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 1,906,884.

5/50 5/50 LottoOdds: 1 in 2,118,760

Summary: A 5/50 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 50 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 2,118,760.

5/69 5/69 LottoOdds: 1 in 11,238,513

Summary: A 5/69 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 69 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 11,238,513.

5/70 5/70 LottoOdds: 1 in 12,103,014

Summary: A 5/70 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 70 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 12,103,014.

5/90 5/90 LottoOdds: 1 in 43,949,268

Summary: A 5/90 lottery draws 5 numbers from a total of 90 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 43,949,268.

6/42 6/42 LottoOdds: 1 in 5,245,786

Summary: A 6/42 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 42 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 5,245,786.

6/45 6/45 LottoOdds: 1 in 8,145,060

Summary: A 6/45 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 45 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 8,145,060.

6/47 6/47 LottoOdds: 1 in 10,737,573

Summary: A 6/47 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 47 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 10,737,573.

6/48 6/48 LottoOdds: 1 in 12,271,512

Summary: A 6/48 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 48 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 12,271,512.

6/49 6/49 LottoOdds: 1 in 13,983,816

Summary: A 6/49 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 49 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 13,983,816.

6/59 6/59 LottoOdds: 1 in 45,057,474

Summary: A 6/59 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 59 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 45,057,474.

6/90 6/90 LottoOdds: 1 in 622,614,630

Summary: A 6/90 lottery draws 6 numbers from a total of 90 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 622,614,630.

7/34 7/34 LottoOdds: 1 in 5,379,616

Summary: A 7/34 lottery draws 7 numbers from a total of 34 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 5,379,616.

7/35 7/35 LottoOdds: 1 in 6,724,520

Summary: A 7/35 lottery draws 7 numbers from a total of 35 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 6,724,520.

7/36 7/36 LottoOdds: 1 in 8,347,680

Summary: A 7/36 lottery draws 7 numbers from a total of 36 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 8,347,680.

7/39 7/39 LottoOdds: 1 in 15,380,937

Summary: A 7/39 lottery draws 7 numbers from a total of 39 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 15,380,937.

7/47 7/47 LottoOdds: 1 in 62,891,499

Summary: A 7/47 lottery draws 7 numbers from a total of 47 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 62,891,499.

10/20 10/20 LottoOdds: 1 in 184,756

Summary: A 10/20 lottery draws 10 numbers from a total of 20 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 184,756.

20/62 20/62 LottoOdds: 1 in 9,206,478,467,454,345

Summary: A 20/62 lottery draws 20 numbers from a total of 62 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 9,206,478,467,454,345.

20/70 20/70 LottoOdds: 1 in 161,884,603,662,657,876

Summary: A 20/70 lottery draws 20 numbers from a total of 70 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 161,884,603,662,657,876.

20/80 20/80 LottoOdds: 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,174,320

Summary: A 20/80 lottery draws 20 numbers from a total of 80 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,174,320.

20/90 20/90 LottoOdds: 1 in 50,980,740,277,700,939,310

Summary: A 20/90 lottery draws 20 numbers from a total of 90 balls.

Jackpot odds: 1 in 50,980,740,277,700,939,310.

Frequently asked questions

Are the odds of winning the lottery always the same?Expand

The odds of winning the lottery are different for each type of lottery and depend on the number of balls drawn and on the total number of balls used in it. If one plays the same lottery and the lottery does not change its rules, such as the total number of balls in the lottery and the possible numbers of balls drawn, then the odds of winning the top prize remain the same.

The payoff might vary though. Some lotteries have a fixed amount top tier prize; others have a varying amount jackpot, say due to rollovers. In any case, winning the jackpot is a life‑changing event. However, the odds of winning the lottery differ between different lotteries, and are always determined by the total number of balls used and the number of balls drawn.

Can you increase your odds of winning the lottery?Expand

There is one sure way to increase your odds of winning the lottery—that is to play more tickets than just one. For example, the odds of winning a jackpot in Lotto 6/45 are 1 in 8,145,060. Playing 10 different tickets would improve the odds to 1 in 814,506. Playing 100 different tickets would further improve the odds to 1 in 81,450.6.

For a 6/56 lottery, playing 8,145,060 different tickets will cover all possible draws. This will guarantee you the jackpot (and a large number of lower‑tier prizes). If the jackpot is large, it can make sense to aim for a part of it by being a member of a lottery syndicate, which can buy many more different tickets than an individual player.

Chance of winning the lottery using the same numbers?Expand

The odds of winning the lottery using the same numbers are the same as using different numbers every time you play, assuming all other conditions are the same. Each unique line has the same probability in any given draw, and previous draws do not affect future draws (modern lotteries are designed to be unbiased).

What are the chances of winning the lottery compared to other things?Expand

It’s often claimed that you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than to win the lottery. This is not universally true. There are over 600 lotteries worldwide and odds vary widely. For many lotteries, winning is easier than “being struck by lightning”.

Lightning statistics are collected per year, while lotteries draw many times per week. Comparisons depend on which lottery and which population we consider.

USA reference data: According to the National Weather Service there are on average 27 fatalities and 243 injuries from lightning per year (2009–2018), while there are 1,000+ lottery millionaires annually according to media and NASPL reports.

Sources: weather.gov, TLC “The Lottery Changed My Life”, NASPL/public gaming reports.

What are the chances if you play every day?Expand

Playing more different tickets increases your chance in proportion to the number of tickets. For a 5/35 lottery (odds 1 in 324,632 per ticket), playing every day for a year (365 tickets) gives an approximate chance of 1 in 889.4 of winning during that period. The precise probability is about 1 in 889.9.

These approximations hold when the number of draws is small compared to the number of possible draws. The exact math is more involved but the approximation is very close here.

What are the chances if you play every week?Expand

For the same total number of different tickets, spreading them daily or weekly is approximately equivalent. In a 5/35 game, playing once a week for a year yields approximate odds of 1 in 6,242.9 for that year (using the same approximation methods). Exact odds require more advanced math.

In general, total different lines matter more than frequency. Larger jackpots may be a reason to time purchases, but odds per line remain the same.

What are the chances of winning the lottery in your lifetime?Expand

As a rough illustration (from Dr. Bluskov’s books), spending $20 per week on a weekly draw over a lifetime leads to an approximate 2% chance of hitting a $1,000,000+ jackpot. Many players will have smaller wins that partially offset costs without a jackpot.

Precise evaluation must consider missed draws, variable spend, how lower‑tier wins are reinvested, prize‑tier distributions, and changes to rules over time.

What happens if you buy 1, 100, or 1,000 tickets?Expand

Buying more different tickets improves your chance in direct proportion to the number of tickets (per draw). For example, in a 6/45 lottery (1 in 8,145,060), 10 different tickets give 1 in 814,506; 100 tickets give 1 in 81,450.6. Scaling to very large sets is typically only feasible within a syndicate.

What are the chances for a lottery syndicate?Expand

Syndicates improve the chance of being part of a win by pooling many more different lines. For the same personal spend, buying a share of many lines can be preferable to owning a single line, though prizes are shared.

What are the chances of winning the lottery twice?Expand

Winning two separate jackpots in specific draws is the product of the two odds (for example, 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 if each draw is 1 in 1,000,000 with one line per draw). Over a lifetime of play, while still very unlikely, a repeat win becomes more feasible due to the large number of tickets sold over time.

Related: drawing the exact same winning numbers in a lottery can occur over long periods. For instance, Bulgarian Lotto 6/49 repeated the same six numbers in consecutive draws in 2009 (different order).