Probability of Winning a Lottery

The probability of winning a lottery jackpot can be calculated by a simple mathematical formula by taking into account various factors, including the total possible numbers and total winning numbers. For lotteries where 6 numbers are selected from a possible 49 (numbers from 1-49) and where order is unimportant, the odds of a jackpot win (i.e. of choosing all 6 numbers) are 1 in around 14 million. Odds vary depending upon the type and format of a lottery. In many lotteries, smaller wins than the main jackpot win are also offered for successfully matching fewer numbers.