Question

The Powerball lottery for a certain region is set up so that each player chooses five different numbers from 1 to 59 and one Powerball number from 1 to 35. A player wins the jackpot by matching all five numbers in any order from the 1 to 59 group and matching the Powerball number.

Suppose that there is a drawing in which the Powerball lottery jackpot is promised to exceed​ $500 million. If a person purchases​175,223,510 tickets at​ $2 per ticket​ (all possible​combinations), isn't this a guarantee of winning the​ jackpot? Because the probability in this situation is​ 1, what's wrong with doing​ this?

A. It​ isn't realistically possible to buy all​ 175,223,510 tickets.
B. The prize is shared among all winners. This person is guaranteed to​ win, but not guaranteed to win​ $500 million.
C. The probability of winning is not​ 1, since there are more than​175,223,510 tickets due to other people participating.
D. There is nothing wrong with doing this.

Answer 1

The correct option is B. The prize is shared among all winners. This person is guaranteed to win, but not guaranteed to win $500 million.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option for this question is B. The prize is shared among all winners. This person is guaranteed to win, but not guaranteed to win $500 million.

Purchasing all possible combinations of tickets in the Powerball lottery may increase the chances of winning, but it does not guarantee the jackpot prize of $500 million. Even if one person buys all the tickets, there is still a possibility that multiple winners could emerge. In such a case, the jackpot prize would be shared among all the winners.

Hence, while this strategy may increase the likelihood of winning, it does not guarantee winning the full $500 million prize.