Lottery guides

Where the 1 in 292 million Powerball figure comes from, and the same math applied to Mega Millions, NY Lotto, Take 5, Pick 10, Numbers and Win 4.

What Powerball's Power Play multiplier and the Double Play draw actually do, what they cost, and how to read them in the results.

Mega Millions went to $5 a play with a built-in multiplier and a smaller Mega Ball drum. Here is what that means for odds and for the results you see.

Cash4Life and Lucky for Life gave way to Millionaire for Life in February 2026. How the new nightly game works and how its odds compare.

The seventh ball in New York Lotto only matters for one prize. Here is exactly when the Bonus number counts and the odds of it helping you.

New York's Take 5 has two draws a day. We looked at every midday and evening result to see whether they behave any differently.

In New York's Pick 10, missing all ten of your numbers wins. The math behind it shows why that result is rarer than you'd think.

How Straight and Box bets work in New York's Numbers and Win 4, how many ways each can win, and the odds for every kind of combination.

Our statistics pages list hot, cold and overdue numbers. Here is what those lists really measure, and why they can't predict the next draw.

A simple routine for checking lottery tickets against the results, spotting smaller prizes people miss, and protecting a winning ticket.

Why the cash option is smaller than the advertised jackpot, how the Powerball and Mega Millions annuity works, and what "for life" means in Millionaire for Life.