Euro lottery and sharks!

For the last few days many news reporters have commented on the £125 million euro lottery jackpot by saying that players were more likely to be bitten by a shark than to win the jackpot.

Yesterday three people won the jackpot.

So, how many of the euro lottery players got bitten by a shark yesterday? I haven't heard reports of a single one.

This is either because shark attacks are now so commonplace in europe that there is no need to report them, or that people that write news stories have absolutely no idea how statistics work.

Anyone want to bet which one is more likely?

 

Well, I'm off to check if I'm one of the winners (and also to cancel my trip to the beach today).

 

Maybe these links will help:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/MapEurope.htm
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/sharks1.html

 

Good point but there is a flaw in the logic because of how it is worded since it means play eurozillions AND get bitten by a shark. The odds of that happening are just silly.

 

The odds of winning that lotto are 1 in 76,275,360 ( http://euro-lottery.websk.net/euromillions-prizes.htm )

That means you'd have to go swimming in the ocean 76,275,360 times before being bitten by a shark.

Stats for shark bites are inaccurate as not all are reported. I was bitten by a shark when I was 12. Mind you it was a small shark, under a foot, and drew no blood, although it left teeth impressions in my skin. I never reported it.

I believe the statement that you are more likely to be bit by a shark than win and since I have been bit, I want my Lotto win.

 

One of them is portuguese!
Unfornately it's not me! :/

 

That means if you purchase £76 million worth of tickets, with all possible combinations, and noone else wins, you've nearly doubled your money

 

Correct, the only problem would be that if there was more than one winner.

 

Screw he Euro lottery. I win the peter moore lottery every day. Sometimes more than once.

 

Don't forget that you would also collect all of the lesser prizes.

 

If you have a lottery with 49 numbers, and you buy all combinations, of say 15 of them, you would spend about 90% less on tickets, and still have a 15/49 chance of winning. Plus if you won, you'd guarantee lots of minor prizes as well.

 

I don't think it is correct because each bet it not worth 1 pound. Here in Portugal is 2 euro each and they said on tv that to pay for all possible bets you would have to spend about 150millions euros

 

I was diving this morning...great dive by the way. Saw 0 sharks...No lottery tickets either.

 

So, er, what numbers would you use?

 

It doesn't really matter.

Lets say its a lottery of 49.

Pick 15

5
12
17
24
3
47
42
37

etc

if its a pick 6, get all combinations of the above 15 numbers. If all 6 of those numbers are chosen, you will win. If 5 are chosen are there you will win more than a few times (14 times I think). if 4 are chosen you will win (210 times, I think)...etc etc etc

 

I think it was an Australia lottery a few year back that got really big and a group of people got investors and went out to buy all the tickets. They had a week to buy 12 million tickets and only ended up with about 10 million tickets before time ran out. Luckily for them they still won.