Tonight, more than $640 million will be up for grabs in the Mega Millions lottery. But chances are, you aren’t going to see a dime of it.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 176,000,000, which means that you have a better shot at just about anything else, than you do at winning the lottery. Here are a few things that are more likely to occur than winning the Mega Millions lottery.
Being A Millionaire – Instead of buying an instant win ticket, you could, you know, work at becoming a millionaire. Sure, it’s a longer road but there’s a lot more money at the end of it. In 2009, there were 2,886,000 millionaires in the United States. With the population at around 300 million people, that means about one in 106 people were millionaires.
But the Mega Millions jackpot is for much more than $1 million so maybe that’s not the best route to riches. Well, according to Investopedia , the United States is also home to nearly 400 billionaires. So yes, you have a better chance of being a billionaire than you do of winning the Mega Millions lottery.
Getting Hit By Lightning – According to the National Lightning Safety Institute , about 1000 people will be struck by lightning this year. That means that you have about a 1 in 300,000 chance of getting hit by lightning. Mike Catalano, chairman of the mathematics department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., said:
“You are about 50 times as likely to get struck by lightning as to win the lottery… If you buy 50 tickets, you’ve equalized your chances of winning the jackpot with getting struck by lightning.”
Dying In A Plane Crash – If you believe that you have a chance of winning the lottery you should be absolutely terrified about boarding a plane. According to PlaneCrashInfo.com , you have a better chance of dying in a plane crash than winning the Mega Millions. There is a 1 in 29 million chance of dying in a crash if you fly with a company known for safety standards. If you fly on a less reputable airline, the chances are down to about 1 in a million.
Odds Of Being Killed By A Vending Machine – The International Business Times reports that 2 people are killed each year in vending machine accidents. The chances of this happening to you are about one in 112 million. So no, you aren’t going to get killed by a vending machine. Unfortunately, you aren’t going to win the lottery either.
Odds Of Becoming President – You have a better chance of becoming the most powerful man in America than you do of winning the lottery. The odds of being president are 1 in 150,00,000.
Dating A Super Model – According to a non-scientific source, the chances of dating a super model are 1 in 89,000. Here are some other possibly not true stats. Chances of getting away with murder: 2 to 1. Odds of getting a hole in one in golf: 5,000 to 1. Chances of being injured from operating a chainsaw: 5,100 to 1. Chances of fatally slipping in bathtub/shower: 3,333 to 1. Chances of becoming a professional athlete: 24,550 to 1. Chances of sighting a U.F.O. today: 3,200,000 to 1. Chances that you will become a saint: 22,540,000 to 1.
The chances are beyond slim that you are going to win the lottery. However, with a jackpot prize of $640 million. What’s the harm of wasting a few dollars.