Once merely astronomical, the odds of hitting the jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions drawing for an estimated $586 million have climbed toward the impossible, bringing predictions of a $1 billion prize by Christmas.
The jackpot has been building since Oct. 4 — marked by 21 straight drawings without a winner. It’s not simply chance: Lottery officials changed the odds by increasing the pool of numbers.
Address: 4625 Young Ave.,
Indianapolis, IN, 46201
Phone: 888-214-8815
Now lottery players have a better chance of being elected president, dating a supermodel or being hit by an asteroid than striking it rich in tonight’s Mega Millions drawing — a fact not lost on many North Jersey residents Monday, including David Tarabocchia, 24, of Hasbrouck Heights, who is not playing the lottery and said he never does.
Actually, he drastically underestimated the odds of winning what is already the fourth highest jackpot in U.S. history: It’s a 1-in-259-million chance.
The odds used to be better — 1 in 176 million — before October, when the numbers pool was increased, increasing the lottery’s popularity by producing bigger jackpots. Previously, players chose five numbers from 1 to 56, and a sixth number — the Mega ball — from 1 to 46. Now players choose between 1 and 75 for the first five numbers, while the range for the Mega ball has decreased; it’s from 1 to 15.
That has lowered the odds of winning lesser amounts but has made winning the jackpot a statistical pipe dream. It’s also had the desired effect. Higher jackpots entice more casual players, and tonight’s jackpot is likely to climb even higher from strong ticket sales.
Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for Mega Millions, said ticket sales for tonight’s drawing are ahead of projections, increasing the likelihood the jackpot will shatter the record of $656 million set in a March 2012 Mega Millions drawing.
If a winner isn’t selected tonight and the jackpot rolls over past the next drawing scheduled for Friday night, Otto predicts it will reach $1 billion — an unheard of amount for Mega Millions or Powerball, the nation’s two main multistate lottery games.
Taken from: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Its_a_mega_million_to_1_against_winning_586_million_jackpot.html