Compared to winning the Powerball lottery, what are the chances of other things happening?

Published Monday, Nov. 26, 2012 | 1:28 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 | 11:58 a.m.

The odds of winning the estimated $550 million Powerball jackpot are long. Really long. One in 175,223,510, to be exact. So how does that compare with other occurrences? Here's a look. Hitting a 00 in roulette There’s a 1 in 38 chance your number will come up by betting 00. Of course, the payout isn’t going to be as big as the lottery jackpot. But you’re likely to be able to play longer and have more fun. It’s one of the easiest games to understand in a casino. Winning a progressive slot jackpot Want a chance at winning a lottery-sized ...

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Discussion: 2 comments so far…

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By RedArrow (Mark Bollman)

Nov. 26, 2012

2:53 p.m.

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There's an extra "million" in that probability. The probability of winning the Powerball jackpot is "only" 1 in 175,223,510, not 1 in 175,223,510 million.

Not that that's an appreciably better bet.
By John Fritz (Staff)

Nov. 26, 2012

2:57 p.m.

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You are correct, RedArrow. Stray word has been removed. Thanks.
By jazzy13 (Mick Davis)

Nov. 26, 2012

9:23 p.m.

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A lottery can pay for schools. Something the casinos are against. An educated populace would want better jobs than working for minimum wage at casinos. State and local government are ruled by casinos.