Which Is the Best Lottery to Play?
So, which is the best lottery in the world? Could it be the US Powerball or the MegaMillions?! Most lottery fans base their decision on the mouth-watering hundreds-crore-dollar jackpots, without thinking about the actual odds of getting these amazing jackpots.
Playing major lotteries with huge jackpots can be a strategy, but you should consider other factors when deciding which is the best lottery to play and hopefully win!
Which is the best lottery to play, according to jackpots?
The jackpots are without a doubt the most attractive feature any lottery can offer. Every time a jackpot reaches a new record value, players from everywhere in the world fight for a chance to take home that life-changing first prize.
The current record for the biggest jackpot ever, belongs to Powerball, with a US$204 Crore first prize scooped by a single winning ticket in November 2022. The Mega Millions comes quite close behind since it awarded a US$160.2 Crore jackpot in August 2023.
Looking at this information, as the two main records are held by major American lotteries (US Powerball and US MegaMillions), an easy conclusion would be to consider these to be the best lotteries in the world. However, the huge jackpots and the multiple secondary prize divisions attract millions of players each draw, so the competition is tough. To get a full overview of your chances and create a successful gameplay strategy, you should look into the jackpot odds of winning, as well as overall prize odds.
Which is the best lottery to play according to jackpot odds?
The odds of winning the Powerball's first prize are of 1 in 29,22,01,338. Before the rule change in October 2015, the Powerball jackpot odds were of 1 in 17.5 Crore. With reduced odds, there is a smaller chance of winning the jackpot, which means, that with each rollover, the first prize will increase and attract even more players. This increases ticket sales as well as the lottery’s popularity all over the world, turning the US Powerball into one of the best lotto games available.
The Mega Millions offers a 1 in 30,25,75,350 chance of taking home the jackpot, a smaller number, but still, not massively different. It is obvious that these two major lotteries have odds that are difficult, but not impossible to beat, as there are tons of success stories throughout the history of the US lotteries.
However, smaller lotteries have better odds of winning, and they are definitely worth your time! Even though the prize pool is smaller and the jackpots don’t reach record-breaking amounts, less-known lotteries could still make you rich. For instance, the odds of winning the first prize in the two Pan-European lotteries, EuroMillions and EuroJackpot, are of 1 in 13,98,38,160. This is a significant improvement compared to their American counterparts!
With attractive odds and a €24 Crore jackpot record, EuroMillions can be a life-changing experience if you play and win. The EuroJackpot has a cap of €12,00,00,000 for its main prize, which is still a great amount considering the odds of winning this international lottery! This statistic should encourage you to try your luck and play smaller lotteries that are not as popular as the American ones, so the competition is not as tough.
How about the lotteries with the worst jackpot odds? Italian SuperEnalotto is the best candidate for this title as you have to choose 6 numbers from a range of 1 to 90! The odds of winning the jackpot are of 1 in 62.2 crore, but still, a record €37.1 Crore jackpot was scooped in February 2023, so it is not impossible. Take a look at the table below to see the comparison of the jackpot winning odds mentioned above:
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US Powerball
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1 in 29,22,01,338
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Mega Millions
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1 in 30,25,75,350
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EuroMillions
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1 in 13,98,38,160
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EuroJackpot
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1 in 13,98,38,160
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SuperEnalotto
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1 in 62,26,14,630
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Which is the best lottery in the world according to general odds?
Apart from the jackpot odds that are an important aspect to consider, you should also know about the general odds of winning. They refer to the chances you have of winning any prize offered by that lottery. Keep in mind that if a lottery offers more prize categories, the general odds of winning will be better than those for a lottery with less secondary prizes.
Let’s compare the general winning odds of both major lotteries and less-popular ones that deserve your attention:
Which are the best lotteries in the world with the lowest taxes?
Taxes is a major factor when determining the actual lottery wins. In the US, the taxes on lottery wins significantly affect the prizes, but there are tax-free lottery games all around the world. Here are some of the countries that pay the lottery prizes tax-free at source:
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Australia
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New Zealand
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Canada
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France
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South Africa
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United Kingdom
Winning players may still be subject to local taxation based on their country of residence. If you win, it’s recommended to ask a professional about these matters, as they vary from country to country.
Which is the best lottery in the world to play?
When deciding which is the best lottery to play and which lottery you are most likely to win, there is a lot to take into account. Jackpot value and odds, overall odds of winning, ticket price, and the taxes are all important factors.
To make an informed decision, you should research these topics and then go for the lotteries that seem right for you.
Although they don’t offer the highest jackpot, Spanish lotteries. La Primitiva with its special raffles and Australia Saturday Lotto come with the best chances of winning. These would be a good investment, as you would make the most of your money. Remember to follow your intuition when choosing which lotto to play and let luck do the rest.