Calculate the exact odds of winning any lottery game
Odds = C(n,r) × C(b,p)Enter the lottery format
Your lottery odds breakdown
Main Combinations
11,238,513
Bonus Combinations
26
Est. Any Prize
1 in 5.8M
Load common lottery configurations
How lottery odds are calculated
TL;DR summary
Lottery odds are calculated using combinations: C(n,r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!). For Powerball (5/69 + 1/26): C(69,5) × C(26,1) = 11,238,513 × 26 = 292,201,338. Your chance of winning the jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million - you're more likely to be struck by lightning twice.
Important things to know
Common lottery odds questions
Lottery odds use the combinations formula: C(n,r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!). For a game where you pick r numbers from n total numbers, this formula calculates all possible combinations. For games with bonus balls, multiply the main combinations by the bonus ball combinations.
Lotteries need to fund prizes, operating costs, and state revenue - typically only 50-60% of ticket sales go to prizes. The large jackpot odds are necessary to create exciting prize pools. The mathematical expected value of a lottery ticket is usually -40% to -50%, worse than almost any casino game.
Mathematically yes, but practically no. Buying 100 Powerball tickets changes your odds from 1 in 292 million to 100 in 292 million (still 0.000034%). You would need to buy millions of tickets to have meaningful odds, which would cost more than most jackpots.
Partial match odds are much better. In Powerball: matching 5 numbers (no Powerball) is 1 in 11.7 million, matching 4 + Powerball is 1 in 913,000, and matching just the Powerball is 1 in 38. These tiers make up the majority of winners.
No. Every combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn. "1-2-3-4-5-6" has the same odds as any other combination. However, popular numbers (birthdays, patterns) mean more people might share your jackpot if you win.