Gambling Calculator

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Lottery Expected Value Calculator

Calculate lottery expected value from supplied prize-tier probabilities, effective gross prizes and ticket cost, including your own sharing assumptions.

Set your inputs

Your result

−$1.75

Expected net per ticket

Expected gross prize
$0.25
Gross prize / ticket cost
12.50%

Supplied exclusive prize tiers and effective prizes; no live jackpots or sharing estimates inferred.

Weight each prize by its probability

Expected gross prize is the sum of each tier’s probability times its effective prize. Subtract ticket cost for expected net. A no-prize outcome may be omitted because it contributes zero, but positive tiers must be mutually exclusive and their total probability cannot exceed 100%.

With chances 0.001%, 0.1% and 1% paying $10000, $100 and $5, expected gross prize is $0.25. On a $2 ticket the expected net is −$1.75. A large jackpot does not override the small probability of its award.

Shared jackpots and taxes need separate assumptions

If a jackpot can be shared, enter the expected amount allocated to your ticket conditional on that win rather than the advertised pool. Multiple winners, cash-versus-annuity values and tax treatment need independently justified inputs.

Use lottery odds for combinations, and the gambling tax estimator for a separately supplied cash award and rate. This page does not fetch a live jackpot or forecast ticket sales.

Calculation method and sources