What is the probability of a lottery win?
The chances of 6 successes from 6 balls drawn in the lottery is as follows 6/49 x 5/48 x 4/47 x 3/46 x 2/45 x 1/44. The chances of drawing 3 out of 6 would be 6/49 x 5/48 x 4/47 x 43/46 x 42/45 x 41/44 x 20. The first 3 fractions are for success in drawing 3 and the next 3 fractions are for “unsuccess” as, having already drawn three, you do not wish to draw any more, if the matter under consideration is drawing 3 only. And since there are 20 ways in which 3 numbers can be taken from 6 i.e. 6/1 x 5/2 x 4/3 = 20, the chance of drawing 3 numbers in the lottery comprises the above formula = 0.0176504 which is roughly 55 to 1. You can use the same principles as above to calculate the odds of getting 4 or 5 up. The lottery, besides taking the losing stakes of those bets with 0,1 or 2 correct also underpays those persons who have 3, 4 or 5 numbers correct and shifts the difference between what they did win and what they would have won in order to swell the jackpot, so as to be able to take a
