Lotto players lose half their money the moment they buy a ticket

The mathematical reality of the lottery is often described as a tax on those who do not understand probability. In a standard game where a player must choose six correct numbers out of forty-five, the odds of hitting the jackpot are exactly one in 8,145,060. Because these odds are so low, the expected value of the ticket, the average amount a player can expect to win back, is significantly lower than the cost of entry.