Chance of Winning the Lottery

A reader asks Marilyn, the gossip columnist for Parade Magazine: 

"We hear that you're more likely to be stuck by lightning than you are to win the lottery. If this is true, why don't we see more news stories about people being struck by lightning? I've read hundreds of stories about lottery winners but only a couple about lightning victims." 

Marilyn says that the lottery numbers are always of interest, but people don't care to read daily reports about lightning victims. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) records show that 415 people were struck by lightning in the year 2000; Marilyn adds that the actual figure is probably higher because of underreporting. Finally, she notes, if you play enough lottery games, you will have a better chance of winning than of being stuck by lightning.
 

Parade Magazine
Marilyn vos Savant

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