Work out the Odds
The odds are always stacked against the gambler – meaning you should always expect to lose.
Three key facts about gambling:
- Wins are unpredictable. You could win a small amount on your first play of a ‘pokie’ machine or play five, ten or even 100 times before you win anything. Expecting the next win to happen soon is risky. All outcomes in games of chance are independent.
- Gambling involves risking something of value on an activity with an uncertain outcome. The risk means that you do not know if you are going to win or lose.
- Over the long, you will most likely lose more than you will win.
This list shows the odds of winning on some forms of gambling in Australia.
Odds of Winning
| Poker Machines – Getting 5 Black Rhinos (Top Prize) ($1 Bet per line) | 1 in 9,765,625 |
| Lotto – Winning First Division (1 game) | 1 in 8,145,060 |
| Oz Lotto – Winning First Division (1 game) | 1 in 45,379,620 |
| Powerball – Winning First Division (1 game) | 1 in 54,979,155 |
| Keno – Winning First Division (Spot 10, 1 game) | 1 in 8,911,711 |
| Keno – Winning First Division (Spot 9, 1 game) | 1 in 1,380,687 |
| Super 66 – Winning First Division (1 game) | 1 in 1,000,000 |
| The Pools – Winning First Division (1 game) | 1 in 2,760,681 |
| Instant Scratchies – Winning First Division with $1 High Tier (1 game) | 1 in 1,500,000 |
| Trackside – picking a trifecta in a 13- horse race | 1 in 1,715 |
Now see how your odds of winning compare with non-gambling related activities:
Odds of Occurrence
| Marriage ending in divorce | 1 in 2.3 marriages |
| Chances of going bald, if you're a man | 3 in 4 men |
| Dying from heart disease | 1 in 4 people |
| Having your car stolen | 1 in 142 cars |
| Dying from a venomous bite or sting | 1 in 1,000,000 people |
| Being killed by lightning | 1 in 1,603,250 people |