is the lottery a scam?

Question

do think that the lotteries around the country are rigged through the computer systems?

Answer 1

NO. The lotteries that are run by US states are on the level. It's just that the odds are SO overwhelmingly against players that it might as well be a scam.

For instance - only ONE ticket (scratch ticket) on a roll of 250 is a cash winner. That's just the way it has to be, in order for both the seller and the state to make $$.

For MegaMillions, etc, the odds are MASSIVELY against the player - and more people should be aware that it is basically a lost cause. You could play for your whole life and never hit the lottery for any money at all.


Mega Millions Total Combinations

Since the total number of combinations for Mega Millions numbers is used in all the calculations, we will calculate it first. The number of ways 5 numbers can be randomly selected from a field of 56 is: COMBIN(56,5) = 3,819,816. (See http://www.durangobill.com/MathNotation.html

or Help in Microsoft's Excel for more information on “COMBIN”).

For each of these 3,819,816 combinations there are COMBIN(46,1) = 46 different ways to pick the sixth number (the “Mega” number). The total number of ways to pick the 6 numbers is the product of these. Thus, the total number of equally likely Mega Millions combinations is 3,819,816 x 46 = 175,711,536.

Jackpot probability/odds (Payout varies)

The number of ways the first 5 numbers on your lottery ticket can match the 5 White numbers is COMBIN(5,5) = 1. The number of ways your final number can match the Mega number is: COMBIN(1,1) = 1. The product of these is the number of ways you can win the Jackpot: COMBIN(5,5) x COMBIN(1,1) = 1. The probability of success is thus: 1/175,711,536 = 0.00000000569114597006. If you express this as “One chance in ???”, you just divide “1” by the 0.00000000569114597006, which yields “One chance in 175,711,536”.

Match all 5 White numbers but not the Mega number (Payout = $250,000)

The number of ways the 5 first numbers on your lottery ticket can match the 5 White numbers is COMBIN(5,5) = 1. The number of ways your final number can match any of the 45 losing Mega numbers is: COMBIN(45,1) = 45. (Pick any of the 45 losers.) Thus there are COMBIN(5,5) x COMBIN(45,1) = 45 possible combinations. The probability for winning $250,000 is thus 45/175,711,536 = 0.000000256101568653 or “One chance in 3,904,700.80”.

Match 4 out of 5 White numbers and match the Mega number (Payout = $10,000)

The number of ways 4 of the 5 first numbers on your lottery ticket can match the 5 White numbers is COMBIN(5,4) = 5. The number of ways your fifth initial number can match any of the 51 losing White numbers is COMBIN(51,1) = 51. The number of ways your final number can match the Mega number is: COMBIN(1,1) = 1. The product of these is the number of ways you can win this configuration: COMBIN(5,4) x COMBIN(51,1) x COMBIN(1,1) = 255. The probability of success is thus: 255/175,711,536 = 0.00000145124222237 or “One chance in 689,064.85”.

Match 4 out of 5 White numbers but not match the Mega number (Payout = $150)

The number of ways 4 of the 5 first numbers on your lottery ticket can match the 5 White numbers is COMBIN(5,4) = 5.

The number of ways your fifth initial number can match any of the 51 losing White numbers is COMBIN(51,1) = 51. The number of ways your final number can match any of the 45 losing Mega numbers is: COMBIN(45,1) = 45.

The product of these is the number of ways you can win this configuration: COMBIN(5,4) x COMBIN(51,1) x COMBIN(45,1) = 11,475. The probability of success is thus: 11,475/175,711,536 = 0.0000653059000065 or “One chance in 15,312.55”.

Match 3 out of 5 White numbers and match the Mega number (Payout = $150) The number of ways 3 of the 5 first numbers on your lottery ticket can match the 5 White numbers is COMBIN(5,3) = 10.

The number of ways the 2 losing initial numbers on your ticket can match any of the 51 losing White numbers is COMBIN(51,2) = 1,275.

The number of ways your final number can match the Mega number is: COMBIN(1,1) = 1. The product of these is the number of ways you can win this configuration: COMBIN(5,3) x COMBIN(51,2) x COMBIN(1,1) = 12,750. The probability of success is thus: 12,750/175,711,536 = 0.0000725621111183 or “One chance in 13,781.30”.

Answer 2

Not as far as winning, just high odds. The use of lottery funds is what the real scam is. Most lotteries are claimed to support Education. The ones I have seen only support temporary programs and not what people think they support. My Sister worked for the school board in Ohio and taught some of these temporary programs. Some were worthwhile but others were a waste of money.

Answer 3

Yes, it is rigged and race is involved. Always the white people states win the big money. In the south not even a country rat wins. This is do to res-sentiment dating back to the civil war. The north does not want the south to win any money, so the lower states get excluded. Its a preventive measure. Always and most often the white people in the north wins. In addition, they sell the lottery where white people frequent, they do not sell wining ticket in run down stinking places. So color people do not visit this places and therefore never win.

Answer 4

It's rigged just on probability alone.

Although it would probably be fairly easy fro someone on the inside who knew what they were doing to rig it for some accomplices to win.

I always wondered why the lottery lady on tv has had the same clothing and hairstyle since 1993...

Answer 5

It's not a scam, everyone who takes part knows that they have only a tiny chance (I think 1 in around 14.5million for the UK version) of winning. The probablility of your 6 numbers coming up is very low, but exactly the same as any other combination of 6 numbers.

Answer 6

No, there is a huge amount of oversight that goes on behind the scenes.

What is a scam is that they make you believe you can win. In Texas, they say, "You can't win if you don't play." Statistically, you have the same chance of winning whether you play or not.

Answer 7

Playing lottery is not bad thing..but once should not addicted for it.

Answer 8

No, the odds of winning are just so small it seems that way. Think about it this way. You have the same odds with the numbers:

1,2,3,4,5,6

as you do with any other number combination.

Answer 9

no need to rig them...the math will ensure that the operators get theirs.

Answer 10

I don't think so. I've hit small amounts, and know people who have hit bigger ones.