soundoff (1,701 Responses)

1. TJ Sam
   

   Quixo
   Well said,

   for $46, 46 tickets covering all megaball numbers, your odds of winning is down to 1 in 3.8million approx

   March 30, 2012 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
   • Joe
     

     Wouldn't buying 46 tickets alone bring your chances to 1 in 3.9 million, regardless of what the mega balls were?

     March 30, 2012 at 4:50 pm | Report abuse |
2. Den
   

   Haters > Go interview the real ppl that beat those high odds and won millions. Ask them if they think buying tickets was worth it. Real ppl do win and the only way that's possible is to play. The key w/ lottery IMO is only spend what you can afford to lose, for me that was 5$

   March 30, 2012 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
3. wjf010
   

   Chances of winning megamillions if you don't by a ticket – zero. Chances of winning if you spend ONE WHOLE DOLLAR – 1 in 175.7 million. By logic, the odds are infinitely better if you buy a ticket.

   March 30, 2012 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
4. Hornblower
   

   Odds of winning if you buy a ticket: 1 in 175 million.
   Odds of winning if you don't buy a tcket: zero.
   Buy a ticket.

   March 30, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
5. Candice
   

   You really don't know if someone redaing this article wont win, Someone HAS to win why not me? I know it is highly unlikely but there is still that small chance.

   March 30, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
6. skinsrock
   

   Blah... blah... blah blah blah... Someone is going to win, why not me?

   March 30, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
7. blacklearner
   

   We have a deficit right?

   March 30, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
8. Matthew Saltzman
   

   Well, depending on the number of office pools you're in, and the number tickets per pool, it could be quite a lot better than 1 in 175 million. Lets say you went in with 150 people in the office, and each bought 2 tickets. That's 300 / 175 million, or 1 / 584,000. That's not too terrible, especially for a shot at say 3 million before taxes. So long as you don't expect to win, the outcome could be quite nice.

   March 30, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
   • Not Quite
     

     Unfortunately, I don't think the math works out like that. Assuming you bought 300 tickets and they are all different, you have only removed 300 possible scenarios. So your odds are:

     1 in 175,711,236 which is 175,711,536 – 300

     I wish buying 300 tickets would change your odds to 1 in 584,000

     March 30, 2012 at 4:49 pm | Report abuse |
9. DC
   

   Face it CNN, you'll never be # 1 in news

   March 30, 2012 at 4:31 pm | Report abuse |
10. Math Teacher
    

    No, TJ Sam.

    "we talking about odds, not percent chance. Odds is 1 in 176million on 1 ticket.
    odds is just 1 in 176 with 1,000,000 tickets, different number combinations"

    There are 176 million combinations. Buying more tickets does not reduce the number of possible combinations. Even if you have 1,000,000 tickets, there are still 176 million possible combinations of numbers. You're smply taking 1,000,000 stabs at getting the 1 correct combination out of 176,000,000.

    So your odds are 1,000,000 * 1 / 176,000,000 -> 0.00569114597 *100 = 0.569114597% chance of success, or a 99.4308854% chance of failure.

    March 30, 2012 at 4:31 pm | Report abuse |
11. Darwin was right
    

    God is going to give the winning ticket to a PAGAN, ATHEIST, CROSS-DRESSING, TREE-HUGGING, WHALE LOVER, just to 1) show he can do it 2) test the faith of all the devout Christians who think THEY should be favored 3) because God has a sense of humor.

    March 30, 2012 at 4:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • Susan M.
      

      I love it!!!!!

      March 30, 2012 at 4:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • mama
      

      you make me laugh, right on if there is a god certainly god has a sense of humor.

      March 30, 2012 at 4:39 pm | Report abuse |
12. Orlly
    

    Since you wrote this article, i feel compelled to apply for a job. It's obvious that the criteria for securing one are very low. Be productive and post something pointing me in the direction of the applications , pet.

    March 30, 2012 at 4:32 pm | Report abuse |
13. bryan
    

    mega millions is rigged, they are fixed. their super computer read all of our pick numbers to make sure none of them match drawing numbers. They already drawing numbers an hour before show on TV.

    March 30, 2012 at 4:32 pm | Report abuse |
14. Really?
    

    Poor article and definitely not news. What didn't you just post an article that says "Nobody Lives Forever" or "Drugs Are Bad". Seems like it would be just as interesting and the only good thing worth reading are the comments.

    (closing window and going to foxnews.com)

    March 30, 2012 at 4:33 pm | Report abuse |
15. Susan M.
    

    Hey, someone has to win it eventually!!!!!!

    March 30, 2012 at 4:34 pm | Report abuse |