Tools / Spending
Lottery spending calculator
Estimate how much a regular Mega Millions or Powerball habit costs over weeks, months, and years. Every figure is arithmetic from your inputs -- not a forecast, and not investment advice.
Calculator
- Weekly cost
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- Monthly average
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- Annual cost
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- Selected-period total
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- Plays purchased (period)
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- Jackpot odds context
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Formulas and assumptions
- Weekly cost = cost per play × plays per drawing × drawings per week
- Annual cost = weekly cost × 52
- Monthly average = annual cost ÷ 12
- Period total = annual cost × horizon years
- Plays purchased = plays per drawing × drawings per week × 52 × horizon years
- At-least-one jackpot probability (context only) = 1 − (1 − 1/N)P, where N is the published jackpot odds denominator and P is plays purchased. This is still vanishingly small for realistic budgets.
Assumptions: prices and schedules match current published rules (Mega Millions $5, Tuesdays & Fridays; Powerball $2, Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays). Holidays, missed drawings, multipacks, and add-ons (Power Play, etc.) are ignored. Inputs stay in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Worked examples
Powerball, one play, three drawings a week, five years
Cost per play $2 × 1 play × 3 drawings = $6 per week. Annual = $6 × 52 = $312. Five-year total = $1,560 for 780 plays. Against 1 in 292,201,338 jackpot odds, 780 independent plays still leave the chance of hitting the jackpot extremely small.
Mega Millions, two plays, two drawings a week, one year
$5 × 2 × 2 = $20 per week, $1,040 per year, 208 plays. Doubling plays doubles spend and doubles the (still tiny) chance that at least one ticket wins -- it does not double the chance for each ticket.
Responsible play
Set a budget you can afford to lose entirely. If chasing losses or spending money meant for necessities, stop and get help: responsible play resources, 1-800-GAMBLER, or ncpgambling.org.
FAQ
- Does this tell me if I will win?
- No. It only converts play frequency into dollar cost and optional odds context.
- Why monthly average instead of calendar months?
- We use annual÷12 so irregular month lengths do not imply false precision.
- Are Power Play / Megaplier included?
- No. Add those costs yourself under Custom if you buy them.
- Is my data stored?
- No. All math runs in your browser. Clearing the page clears the inputs.