By The newspaper
Aug 25, 2023, 11:17 AM EDT
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot in the United States are 1 in 302,575,350.
This means you are more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 15,300); who die as a result of a shark attack (1 in 4.3 million); or be struck by a meteorite (1 in 1.6 million).
Another way to understand how difficult it is to win the “jackpot” is the comparison of 80 years buying tickets.
Steven Diaz, a professor of mathematics at Syracuse University, explained, according to an Associated Press article, that if you buy a lottery ticket for every Mega Millions drawing for about 80 years; that is, twice a week (Tuesday and Friday), you are still more likely to be struck by lightning once in your life.
“A bit darker example,” Matthew Kovach, an assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s department of economics, told the news agency. “Imagine you have to travel half a mile to buy a lottery ticket, so you have a one-way trip. and return of 1 mile. It is approximately 4 times more likely that I will die in a car accident on a trip to buy the ticket than the probability that I will win, ”he dramatized.
To win the top prize for that lottery game, you must match all six numbers in the series.
There are several secondary prizes that will depend on the number of numbers you match.
The last two Mega Millions jackpots have fallen in Florida.
For two consecutive Tuesdays, residents of the “Sunshine State” took the jackpots.
The first was the one for $1.58 billion dollars raffled on August 8.
A single ticket sold at a Neptune Beach Publix won the run.
On August 15, another ticket was sold at another Publix, but in Jacksonville.
Both businesses are located in Duval County.
In none of the cases has the money been claimed so far.
Florida lottery jackpot winners have a 180-day limit to claim their prize.
If they prefer the disbursement in a single single payment, the time period is reduced to 60 days.
A state law establishes that winners may remain anonymous for up to 90 days after the money is claimed.
Keep reading:
Is the luck in Florida?, Mega Millions jackpot falls in that state for the second Tuesday in a row
Winner of $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot in Florida won’t have to pay state taxes
Michigan woman had outstanding balance of $2 million in her virtual Mega Millions account and thought it was a mistake