Top 5 Hardest Lottery Jackpots To Win Around The Globe

Tens of millions of people around the world spend a portion of their hard-earned dollars every year playing the lottery and chasing the dream of riches. The odds of winning a grand prize are slim — and in this article, Lottery Geeks is focusing on the slimmest of the slim. After all, it’s best to know what you’re getting into before you buy a ticket.

We’re ranking the hardest lotteries to win, across all continents. Buckle up, boss. It is going to be a bumpy ride. 

5. Mega-Sena — Brazil

Brazil boasts a market that loves its lottery action, and the game of choice for Brazilians these days is the Mega-Sena. It is one of Brazil’s biggest lottery offerings. As such, it is one heck of a hard lottery to win.

The odds of winning the Mega-Sena jackpot are 1 in 50,063,860. Even with the odds stacked against the consumer, the prizes make it worthwhile. A jackpot is guaranteed to be at least $2 million and can go much higher.

On New Year’s Eve, a special draw called Mega de Virada is hosted with an influx of prize money, usually leading to heavy consumer spending. Players in Brazil consider it a tradition to buy a ticket on NYE. Those prizes are commonly big, often reaching nine-figures. 

To win the Mega-Sena jackpot, all six of a person’s numbers must match the drawn numbers, which are between 1 and 60. There are no secondary prizes. A person either wins the main draw or busts. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday.

4. EuroMillions — Various countries In Europe

EuroMillions is a joint venture across many countries, and the jackpot prizes are usually large, as in nine figures. The lottery gets extensive media coverage in Europe and sometimes North America.

According to EuroMillions’ website, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 139,838,160. To become a king or queen and win such a haul, a player needs to match five main numbers plus two “star numbers.” The main numbers can be between 1-50, and the “star numbers” can be between 1-12. Draws are held every Tuesday and Friday.

There are also secondary prizes that players can win that offer more favorable odds. For example, if a player managed to match five main numbers and 1 “star number” — a 1 in 6,991,908 chance — they could win on average £260,099.84.

3. Powerball — U.S.

The Powerball draw is a household name in the United States. Draws are held three times a week, and the prizes are gigantic. Americans know the deal. But do they know the odds of winning the jackpot as well as Bill Belichick seems to know his opponent’s playbook? Probably not. 

Here’s the scoop: A ticket has a 1 in 292,201,338 of winning the big jackpot, according to the Powerball website. 

That means matching all five of the main numbers between 1 and 69 and the red Powerball with a number between 1 and 26. The player will not win the jackpot if any of the six numbers does not line up. That said, it’s not all or nothing — there are other prizes for lesser matches.

2. Mega Millions — U.S.

The Mega Millions is the rival to Powerball and the one grandmas throughout the United States have been dreaming about winning their entire lives. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t easy to win, even if a person has two chances to try per week.

According to the Mega Millions website, the odds of winning the jackpot (a large portion of which the government will claw away) are 1 in 302,575,350. This narrowly beats out the Powerball for longest U.S. lottery odds.

Winning the jackpot requires matching five numbers from the main draw, which range from 1 to 70, and one number from the “Gold Mega Ball” draw, which ranges from 1 to 25. It is almost the exact same formula as the Powerball. 

And now to the absolute hardest lottery jackpot to win in the world …

1. SuperEnaLotto — Italy

SuperEnaLotto is one of the biggest lotteries in the world, with some of the largest jackpots. Millions of Italians buy tickets for SuperEnaLotto’s three weekly draws. The prizes are so tempting that people tend to buy tickets in larger volumes.

Okay, wiseguy, what are the odds? The odds of winning the jackpot are more than twice as long as Powerball’s grand prize, at 1 in 622,614,630. A punter looking to gamble would surely be better off putting a few bucks down on the longest shot in the Palio di Siena. The only way to win the jackpot is to match six main numbers from 1 to 90. 

Although the odds are long, Italians stick to the motto of “Finché C’È vita C’È Speranza.” While there’s life, there’s hope.