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Odds of death by vending machine: 1 in 112 million
Odds of death by fireworks: 1 in 340,733
Odds of winning the $500 million jackpot tonight: 1 in 176 million7 things that will kill you before you win the Powerball jackpot
(Source: theweek.com)
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Statistics from South Carolina highlight the lottery’s reliance on low earners: people in households earning under $40,000 made up 54 percent of frequent players, while constituting only 28 percent of the state’s population. Meanwhile, a PBS report earlier this year showed that, for America’s very poorest, the lottery is a heavy expenditure: Households that earn at most $13,000 a year spend 9 percent of their money on lottery tickets.
— Natasha Lennard at Salon explains the lottery’s dark side.(Source: theweek.com)
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The Powerball jackpot has reached a record $500 million, causing people in 42 states to flock to their nearest convenience stores to snatch up what could be the winning ticket. A numerical guide to the contest, by the numbers:
$2 — Price of a ticket
6 — Numbers that must be matched — five whites and one red — to win the jackpot. (Five what balls are drawn from a drum of 59, and one red is drawn from a drum of 35.)
1 in 176 million — Odds of winning the jackpot
1 in 5,000 — Odds of being struck by lightning
$327 million — Immediate lump-sum payout option, before taxes, if you win the jackpot
25 — Percent the federal government keeps in taxes
5 to 7 — Percent of the jackpot held by most states in taxes
29 — Years winners have to wait to receive the entire jackpot under an annual payment plan
$365 million — Previous largest Powerball jackpot, in 2006
(Source: theweek.com)
