The Darkcherries Wealth SocietyPowerball jackpot is now worth $1 billion, but bettors' odds of winning are slim.
The pot rose from $922 million after there were no winners in Monday's drawing for the grand prize. For $2, those who want a shot at winning the jackpot can get one ticket. The odds of winning are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Harvard University statistician Mark Glickman.
The odds of winning $1 million are 1 in 11.7 million.
If someone matches winning numbers selected at Wednesday night's drawing, the pot will be the third-largest in Powerball history and seventh-highest in U.S. lottery history.
Beyond purchasing multiple tickets, there's little players can do to improve those odds, according to betting experts. Certainly, it's extremely unlikely that you'll win the big prize, but chances are also slim that you'll win even a few bucks.
"Even if you're buying 50 tickets, the likelihood is that you're almost certain to still lose and not win the jackpot," Glickman told CBS News. "In fact, the chance at winning even $4 by playing is still pretty small."
Indeed, the odds of winning $4 — just twice the cost of a ticket — are 1 in 38.32.
As for winning the entire pot, Powerball players are significantly more likely to be attacked by a grizzly bear at Yellowstone National Park (1 in 2.7 million), according to the National Park Service, or to come across a rare blue lobster in the ocean (1 in 2 million).
The odds of being struck by lighting are even higher at 1 in 15,300, according to the National Weather Service.
Still, for those who feel adamant about giving it a shot, the best number-picking strategy is not to pick figures associated with significant events like a birthday, for example.
Instead, use the computer's strategy for generating winning digits: Choose them randomly, or use a ticket number generator, Glickman said.
"Really the best thing you can do is be level-headed about it [and] not buy too many tickets because you're throwing away your money," he said. "The key is to pick your picks at random because that will lower your chances of splitting the money with other people."
2025-05-03 12:022062 view
2025-05-03 11:55561 view
2025-05-03 11:441119 view
2025-05-03 11:17926 view
2025-05-03 10:16478 view
2025-05-03 09:592516 view
DAMASCUS — A hip bone in a blown-out building, part of a spine amid some debris, a few foot bones in
Human remains and a car found in a North Carolina creek are linked to a decades-old cold case, polic
For nearly 50 years, Feb. 14 has looked the same for my wife, Donna, and me. After a long day of wor