As of this week, Powerball tickets are now available in Texas. In case you’re tempted to buy one, here’s how good your chances are of winning.
The odds for hitting the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 195,249,054. That’s right, 195 million and change.
Which makes the chances for winning it all in Mega Millions (1 in 175,711,538) or Lotto Texas (1 in 25,827,165) almost look good.
Winning Powerball is like winning Lotto Texas, and then having to roll an eight at the craps table before you could collect.
The odds are only 1 in 750,000 of being struck by lightning in any given year, according to the National Weather Service.
And according to the National Safety Council, over one year, the odds for dying through contact with venomous spiders were 1 in 74,590,743 in 2006. In that same scary year, the odds were 1 in 9,323,843 of dying by being bitten or struck by a dog.
And you might want to rethink that sugary snack at work. The Book of Odds pegs the chance of a person dying from a vending machine accident in a year at 1 in 112 million.
Are we feeling lucky yet?