Lottery odds compared
With one play, the chance of the top prize ranges from 1 in 13,983,816 in Greek Lotto to 1 in 292,201,338 in Powerball.
| Game | Top prize | Any prize | Price a play | Wait for the top prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Lotto | 1 in 13,983,816 | 1 in 6.62 | €1 | 130,000 years |
| Tzoker | 1 in 24,435,180 | 1 in 9.42 | €1 | 160,000 years |
| EuroMillions | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 12.97 | €2.50 | 1.3 million years |
| Eurojackpot | 1 in 139,838,160 | 1 in 31.83 | €2 | 1.3 million years |
| Mega Millions | 1 in 290,472,336 | 1 in 23.07 | $5 | 2.8 million years |
| Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 24.87 | $2 | 1.9 million years |
Highest chance of the top prize first. The top prize is the jackpot, or a fixed amount where a game has no jackpot. The wait is the average for one line in every draw.
Why the jackpot odds differ so much
The chance of the top prize is one divided by the number of different plays, and every extra number in a pool multiplies that count. Greek Lotto has 13,983,816 different plays. Powerball has 292,201,338, about 21 times as many.
A bigger jackpot is mostly the result of harder odds: the harder it is to win, the more draws pass with no winner, and each one rolls the jackpot over. When someone does win, the jackpot is shared with every other winner of the same draw.