Skip to content

Brother's counsel led to siblings' fortune via a simple lottery win.

The likelihood of the boy winning the lottery with a $20 ticket purchase.

Brother's advice led to a fortune won through a straightforward raffle ticket.
Brother's advice led to a fortune won through a straightforward raffle ticket.

Brother's counsel led to siblings' fortune via a simple lottery win.

In the world of lotteries, the odds of winning a life-changing jackpot can often seem like a distant dream. However, a young man from North Carolina named Patrick Kelly recently proved that dreams do come true when he won $100,000 in a US Scratch-off lottery.

While Patrick's winnings were subject to federal and state tax withholdings, leaving him with over $60,000, the odds of winning any prize in the US 100X The Cash scratch-off game are surprisingly favourable. The odds of winning *any prize* in this game are approximately 1 in 3.5, making it a popular choice among lottery enthusiasts.

In contrast, the odds for major Spanish lotteries like Primitiva and Euromillones are vastly longer, in the millions to hundreds of millions. The Primitiva lottery, for instance, has a probability of winning the jackpot at around 1 in 10 million, while the Euromillones lottery offers a staggering 1 in 139 million chance of winning the jackpot.

The Quiniela lottery, a Spanish soccer pool, also presents complex odds that are generally much harder to win a large prize than scratch-offs, although the exact odds depend on the number of matches and predictions. The El Gordo de Navidad, Spain's Christmas Lottery, offers a relatively high chance of winning some prize (~1 in 100,000), but the odds of winning a big prize are still far lower compared to US scratch-offs.

Engineer David Gozalo, who analysed the real probabilities of winning in each of Spain's lotteries, confirmed that the chances of winning these Spanish lotteries are minimal. The lottery with the lowest probability of winning is Euromillones, followed by Primitiva, Quiniela, and El Gordo de Navidad.

Despite the lower jackpot odds, the US Scratch-off lottery offers good chances of winning instant prizes, but the chances of winning the grand prize of up to $2 million are limited. Patrick Kelly, the lucky winner, bought his ticket at a Raceway gas station on US Highway 321 in Hickory, North Carolina.

In conclusion, while scratch-off games like 100X The Cash offer relatively frequent smaller wins, popular Spanish number lotteries and pools offer much lower odds but with the chance of very large jackpots. The 100X The Cash game is optimised for frequent wins rather than the massive jackpots seen in Euromillones or Primitiva. Therefore, lottery players have a choice to make depending on their preference for more frequent smaller wins or the prospect of a life-changing jackpot.

Politically, some individuals might argue that the higher odds in casino-games such as the US Scratch-off lottery are more equitable, offering a chance to everyday people like Patrick Kelly, while Spanish lotteries like Primitiva and Euromillones present significantly longer odds, potentially creating a class divide in gambling opportunities. Casino-gaming enthusiasts might find appeal in casino-and-gambling establishments that offer casino-games with odds more akin to the US Scratch-off, providing a more balanced combination of frequent wins and potential for life-changing jackpots.

Read also: