About the Lottery Odds Calculator
The odds of winning a numbers lottery depend only on how many numbers are drawn and how many are in the pool. This calculator works out the number of possible combinations, which gives the jackpot odds, and the odds of matching fewer numbers for the lower prize tiers. Type the pool size and how many numbers are picked and the lottery odds appears at once, with a few related figures underneath, and you can copy the result with one tap. The sums run in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Lottery Odds Calculator
- 1Enter the pool size and how many numbers are picked.
- 2Pick the units or options from the menus if the lottery odds tool offers them.
- 3Read the lottery odds in the large result box.
- 4Look at the extra rows for related figures.
- 5Press Copy result to keep the answer.
When you need the lottery odds
Players, students of probability and teachers use it to put lottery chances in perspective.
Buying more tickets raises your odds only in proportion. Ten tickets give 10 in 13,983,816 and still a very small chance.
How the lottery odds is worked out
Combinations = pool! ÷ (picks! × (pool − picks)!). The odds of the jackpot are 1 in that number. In a 6-from-49 lottery there are 13,983,816 combinations, so the jackpot odds are 1 in 13,983,816. Matching 3 numbers is about 1 in 57.
Every answer on this page comes from that one rule, so you can check any result by hand with a calculator. The figures shown underneath, such as other units, are conversions of the same answer.
- Jackpot and lower tiers
- Exact big numbers
- Any pool
Mistakes to avoid with lottery odds
This tool assumes a simple draw with no bonus ball. Real lotteries with extra balls or tiers have different odds.
On phone and computer
On a phone, type into the boxes one after another and read the lottery odds underneath; Copy result puts it on the clipboard for a message or a note. On a computer the inputs sit on the left and the answer on the right, so you can change one figure and watch the lottery odds move. The lottery odds calculator works the same on both.
Checking your lottery odds by hand
A good habit is to test the lottery odds calculator with a case you already know. In a 6-from-49 lottery there are 13,983,816 combinations, so the jackpot odds are 1 in 13,983,816. Matching 3 numbers is about 1 in 57.
If your own figures give a surprising answer, repeat the working yourself: Combinations = pool! ÷ (picks! × (pool − picks)!). The odds of the jackpot are 1 in that number. Small differences usually come from rounding, from mixing units, or from a typing slip in one of the inputs. Odds are easy to read, and other chance tools show what they mean. Use the Probability Calculator for other events, the Permutation and Combination Calculator to count the tickets, and the Lottery Number Generator to pick random numbers.
Features
- No bonus balls modelled
- Every combination is equal
- Odds are tiny
- Clear messages when the lottery odds inputs make no sense
- Copy the result with one tap
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate lottery odds?
Combinations = pool! ÷ (picks! × (pool − picks)!). The odds of the jackpot are 1 in that number. In a 6-from-49 lottery there are 13,983,816 combinations, so the jackpot odds are 1 in 13,983,816. Matching 3 numbers is about 1 in 57.
What is the formula for lottery odds?
Combinations = pool! ÷ (picks! × (pool − picks)!). The odds of the jackpot are 1 in that number. The lottery odds calculator applies it exactly and rounds only the displayed answer to six significant figures.
What are the odds of 6 from 49?
1 in 13,983,816.
Do favourite numbers help?
No. Every combination is equally likely.
Does a bonus ball change the odds?
Yes, and this tool does not model it.
Is this lottery odds calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the numbers you type are not uploaded or stored.