The record $ 1.6 billion Mega Millions price is due to simple maths, surprises



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If Mega Millions and Powerball giant jackpots are expected to be captured, games can be summed up in two things: simple calculation and very long probabilities.

But there are some quirks and surprises about mathematical equations that are likely to tip somebody into stratospheric wealth after the jackpots have gone up for months without a winner.

WHAT ARE THE JACKPOTS?

The biggest quirk begins with this fact: the $ 1.6 billion Mega Millions announced prize – the biggest lottery jackpot in the world – and the $ 620 million Powerball prize are not quite real. In other words, this is the amount you would be paid if you chose a pension spread over 29 years. Almost all winners choose cash, that is the amount that lottery people actually have in the bank and are willing to pay to the company that would finance the annuity.

The cash option is still massive, at $ 904 million for Mega Millions and $ 354.3 million for Powerball. But these numbers are not displayed on billboards and presented in countless mini markets across America.

POTENTIAL COMBINATIONS

The low odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot – 1 out of 302.5 million – mean that there are 302.5 million potential number combinations, a little less of a combination for each of the 328 million from the inhabitants of the United States. For the draw last Friday, about 59% of the possible combinations were taken. But before the draw on Tuesday night, officials estimate that 75% will be sold.

That would mean a 25% chance of not winning. If this happens, it is likely that more combinations will be covered before the next draw three days later. Officials did not estimate the number of tickets that would be sold for this potential draw, and they did not specify the amount of the estimated price. Could it reach $ 2 billion?

The odds of winning Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

As the grand prize increases, the winners do it too.

Odds of winning do not change as jackpots get bigger, but the chance of multiple winners sharing the prize is greater. When so many people rush to play while a jackpot soars, there are more chances that two or three tickets – on millions of tickets sold – are identical. Of the five biggest jackpots awarded in the United States, three went to several winners. The most important prize went to a player from Massachusetts in 2017 who celebrated a $ 758.7 million payday on Powerball.

TWO JACKPOTS, A WINNER?

If the chances of winning either Mega Millions or Powerball do not seem gigantic enough, why not win both? Spend $ 4 on a ticket for each match and this could happen. But the odds are not particularly favorable, at about 1 in 88 billion (that is, 88 billion).

LUCKY NUMBERS

For Mega Millions, players choose six numbers: five from a range of white balls numbered from 1 to 70 and a number from Mega Ball in a range of 1 to 25. Which numbers have increased the most? Since 2010, this honor returns to number 2, with 92 hits, followed by numbers 20, 11, 31 and 17. The number of Mega Ball most affected is 9.

Lottery officials are quick to point out that the selection of the number is random, so there is no reason for what has been hit in the past to be selected again. The game has also changed over the years, so some numbers included are not always there.

LUCKY STATES

Unsurprisingly, the largest number of Mega Millions jackpot winners in the last five years comes from the most populous states. New York, with the fourth largest population in the country, leads with seven winners. California, the second-largest country, is second with six winners in the Mega Millions, while Illinois is third with four winners.

Nevertheless, there are some quirks, as Georgia has the largest number of inhabitants and three winners, while Washington State has two, but only the thirteenth. Texas is the second largest population in the country, but players have only purchased winning Mega Millions tickets in that state in the last five years. And let's listen to him for Rhode Island, the smallest state to have won a Mega Millions jackpot in the last five years.

AMERICA IS NO. 1

For those with an international bias, the current Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed all lottery jackpot records – so it's not just the biggest lottery lottery in US history, it's now largest in the world.

The annual El Gordo National Lottery in Spain announces a larger total prize pool, but the money is divided into several prizes, according to Seth Elkin, spokesperson for the Maryland lottery, who is currently answering questions about the draw. Mega Millions lottery.

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