When it comes to playing the lottery, we all dream of hitting the jackpot and becoming instant millionaires. However, the odds of winning the big prizes are astronomically low for most games. This makes it important to understand which Minnesota (MN) lottery games offer the best chances at winning.
In this article, we will compare and analyze the different MN lottery games and their odds. We will look at factors like prize payout structures, overall odds of winning, and big jackpot sizes. This will help MN lottery players determine which games provide the best opportunities to beat the long odds and take home a prize.
Overview of Major MN Lottery Games
There are a variety of lottery games available from the Minnesota State Lottery. Here is a quick overview of some of the major games and their basic gameplay:
Powerball – This is a multi-state lottery game played across 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Players select 5 main numbers from 1-69 and one Powerball number from 1-26. Jackpots start at $40 million and roll over if there is no winner. There are also secondary prizes from $4 up to $2 million.
Mega Millions – Another interstate lottery game played in most states. Players pick 5 numbers from 1-70 and one Mega Ball from 1-25. Jackpots begin at $40 million and can grow into the hundreds of millions before a winner is drawn. Lower tiered prizes range from $2 to $1 million.
Gopher 5 – An in-state MN lottery game exclusive to Minnesota. Players choose 5 numbers from 1-47. There are set prize tiers based on how many numbers match, from $1 for 2 numbers up to the jackpot (minimum $100,000) for hitting all 5.
Northstar Cash – Also a Minnesota-only game. Players pick 5 numbers from 1-31 plus 1 Northstar Ball number from 1-10. Set prizes start at $1 and go up to the minimum $50,000 jackpot for matching all numbers.
Daily 3 – Players pick 3 numbers from 0-9 and can play different combinations like straight (exact order), boxed (any order), front/back pairs, etc. Payouts range from $250 to $5,000 depending on the play type and wager amount. Drawings are held twice daily.
Lotto America – Relatively new multi-state game played in 13 states and D.C. Players select 5 main numbers out of 52 plus 1 Star Ball from a separate pool of 10 numbers. Jackpots start at $2 million with lower tiered prizes from $1 up to $20,000.
Comparing Overall Odds of Winning
One of the easiest ways to judge which MN lottery games offer better chances is by looking at the overall odds of winning any prize. This gives a global look at how hard or easy it is to win something by playing each game.
Here are the overall Minnesota lottery game odds compared:
Daily 3 – Odds are 1 in 4.91
Northstar Cash – Odds are 1 in 8.66
Gopher 5 – Odds are 1 in 7.27
Lotto America – Odds are 1 in 9.68
Powerball – Odds are 1 in 24.87
Mega Millions – Odds are 1 in 24.06
Based on the overall odds, Daily 3 provides the best chance to win any prize when playing the Minnesota lotteries. The odds are far more favorable compared to games like Powerball and Mega Millions. Northstar Cash and Gopher 5 also have much better chances than the national games.
So for those looking to more regularly win smaller prizes, Daily 3, Northstar Cash and Gopher 5 are smarter plays in Minnesota. However, we’ll look at other factors like jackpots and payout structures next.
Assessing Jackpot Size and Odds
For many lottery players, it’s all about chasing the life changing jackpot prizes. And when it comes to big jackpots, Powerball and Mega Millions are undoubtedly the best MN lottery games to play.
That’s because their jackpots not only start much higher at $40 million, they roll over and grow in value with every drawing where there’s no winner. Here are some of the record jackpots seen in recent years:
Powerball
– $1.586 Billion (January 2016)
– $768.4 Million (March 2019)
– $758.7 Million (August 2017)
Mega Millions
– $1.537 Billion (October 2018)
– $656 Million (March 2012)
– $648 Million (December 2013)
The jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions can eclipse $1 billion before a winner is drawn. No other Minnesota lottery game can compete when it comes to offering world record jackpots.
However, chasing these jackpots comes at the cost of incredibly low odds. The chances of matching all main numbers plus the Powerball or Mega Ball is 1 in 292,201,338 for Powerball and 1 in 302,575,350 for Mega Millions.
For Gopher 5, the odds of hitting the jackpot by matching all 5 numbers is substantially higher at just 1 in 1,754,720. But this comes with much smaller jackpots that rarely exceed a few million dollars.
So there is a clear tradeoff – Powerball and Mega Millions provide life changing money but long odds, while Gopher 5 has better chances but smaller prizes. It comes down to whether you want to regularly win smaller prizes or take a chance at megabucks.
Comparing Secondary Prize Payouts
Aside from the jackpots, it’s also important to compare the secondary prize payouts across the different MN lottery games. Lower tiered prizes that offer thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars are great ways to win serious money without needing to match all the numbers.
Powerball and Mega Millions again excel when looking at secondary prizes:
Powerball
– Match 5 main numbers: $1 million
– Match 4 main + Powerball: $50,000
– Match 4 main numbers: $100
– Match 3 main + Powerball: $100
– Match 3 main: $7
– Match 2 main + Powerball: $7
Mega Millions
– Match 5 main: $1 million
– Match 4 main + Mega Ball: $10,000
– Match 4 main: $500
– Match 3 main + Mega Ball: $200
– Match 3 main: $10
– Match 2 main + Mega Ball: $10
For both games, you have chances at winning $1 million, $10,000 or $50,000 without needing to match all the numbers. Gopher 5 also offers nice prizes but lower amounts:
Gopher 5
– Match 4: $200
– Match 3: $5
When looking strictly at secondary prizes, Powerball and Mega Millions provide opportunities to win much more money compared to a game like Gopher 5. While the overall odds of winning these prizes are longer, the payoffs make it worth playing for many MN lottery fans.
Payout Structures and Expected Value
Another way to analyze and compare the MN lottery games is by looking at their overall payout structures. The payout percentage or expected rate of return on investment helps determine which games pay back more in prizes relative to the amount wagered.
Powerball and Mega Millions have similar overall payout percentages:
– Powerball: 68%
– Mega Millions: 65%
This means that based on the prize structures, if $100 is wagered on Powerball in total, $68 will be paid back to players in the form of prizes. Mega Millions pays back around $65.
Gopher 5 has a higher overall payout rate, with a percentage of 75%. This suggests better returns for players investing in Gopher 5 tickets versus playing the national games. However, the tradeoff is smaller maximum prizes as discussed earlier.
For Daily 3, the payout rate can vary greatly depending on the type of play. A basic straight play has a payout around 50% but can be as high as 80% for box and combo plays that have more winning combinations. This provides great expected value for players willing to spend a few extra dollars for these higher payout bets.
Looking at expected payout rates helps confirm that games like Gopher 5 and Daily 3 give back a higher percentage of money wagered back to players. Powerball and Mega Millions offer life changing jackpots but worse expected returns over time. It depends on if you prefer chasing huge jackpots or more consistent expected value.
Frequency of Drawings
In addition to the basic odds and prize data, the frequency of drawings can also be an important factor in assessing MN lottery games. Simply put, the more often drawings are held the more chances you have to win per week.
Here is the drawing schedule for major Minnesota lottery games:
Daily 3 – Twice daily (Midday and Evening draws)
Northstar Cash – Daily
Gopher 5 – Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Lotto America – Wednesday and Saturday
Powerball – Wednesday and Saturday
Mega Millions – Tuesday and Friday
With its twice daily draws, Daily 3 gives players the most chances during the week to win prizes. Northstar Cash is next with its daily draws. Lotto America, Powerball and Mega Millions have the fewest in comparison at only two days per week.
For players looking to maximize their chances by volume, Daily 3 and Northstar Cash allow you to play more often. Gopher 5 offers a decent middle ground with 3 days of drawings per week. Lotto America, Powerball and Mega Millions trail from a frequency standpoint.
Requirements to Win Top Prizes
For jackpot chasers, another consideration is whether there are any special requirements in order to actually win the advertised top prizes in certain MN lottery games. Powerball and Mega Millions have such stipulations.
For Powerball, you can win smaller fixed prizes by matching just the 5 main numbers. But to win the rolling jackpot that gets advertised, you must also match the Powerball.
It’s the same concept for Mega Millions. Matching the 5 main numbers wins you $1 million. However, to capture the growing multimillion dollar jackpot, you have to also hit the Mega Ball.
There are no such requirements to win the jackpots in games like Gopher 5 and Northstar Cash. Matching all the main numbers wins you the full jackpot amount, with no other balls or special conditions.
This is an important distinction for lottery players focused on winning the maximum prizes. You don’t want to match all 5 numbers but then miss out on the jackpot due to not hitting the Powerball or Mega Ball.
Types of Numbers Selected
An additional point of comparison is how player select numbers on each MN lottery game. Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America use two pools of numbers:
– Main numbers picked from a pool from 1 to 69 (Powerball), 1-70 (Mega Millions), or 1-52 (Lotto America)
– Additional secondary number picked from a separate pool of 1-26 numbers
However, for games like Gopher 5 and Northstar Cash all numbers come from the same pool. Players only choose from the single range of numbers 1-47 (Gopher 5) or 1-31 (Northstar Cash).
Statistically, having all numbers chosen from one pool versus two pools impacts your probability calculations. Games with a single pool of numbers have slightly more favorable odds for players.
Conclusions
Deciding which Minnesota lottery games are most advantageous comes down to your reasons for playing. Here are some concluding points based on the analysis:
– For the best overall odds and expected payout rates, Daily 3 and Gopher 5 offer nice value. Daily 3 has the higher payout structure plus the benefit of two daily drawings.
– Fans of big jackpots will want to target Powerball and Mega Millions. The tradeoff is poor overall expected value and long odds. But giant prizes over $100 million and even $1 billion are possible.
– Players focused on secondary prizes and not just jackpots will find Powerball and Mega Millions offer the most lucrative mid-tier rewards of $50,000 or $1 million for matching some of the numbers.
– Lotto America falls in the middle ground with moderate jackpots starting at $2 million and decent secondary prizes, but less frequent drawings compared to other games.
– Northstar Cash provides a solid in-state only option with better overall odds and prizes than Powerball/Mega Millions, but lower jackpots and secondary rewards.
Ultimately your lottery preferences will determine which Minnesota game provides the best odds and chances to win. Regular smaller prizes, occasional medium wins, or chasing blockbuster jackpots all have different games that align with these goals. Understanding these key differences allows MN players to make smart choices based on their lottery playing strategy.
| Game | Starting Jackpot | Overall Odds | Drawings Per Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball | $40 million | 1 in 24.87 | 2 |
| Mega Millions | $40 million | 1 in 24.06 | 2 |
| Gopher 5 | $100,000 | 1 in 7.27 | 3 |
| Northstar Cash | $50,000 | 1 in 8.66 | 7 |
| Daily 3 | N/A | 1 in 4.91 | 14 |
Key Takeaways
- Daily 3 offers the best overall odds to win any prize.
- Powerball and Mega Millions feature massive jackpots but odds over 1 in 292 million.
- Gopher 5 provides nice prize money at better odds than national games.
- Powerball and Mega Millions have biggest secondary prizes for matching some numbers.
- Daily 3 gives players the most chances to win with daily drawings.
