CM Flint’s Treasure Hunt: Life-Changing Lottery Stories

What's up! This is CM Flint.

Do you like lotteries?

I don't dislike lotteries, but I don't buy them often either.

I sometimes buy a lottery ticket when I wish for something good to happen or when I want to feel good for a week.

Of course, I have only won a few bucks at best, but I admire those who have won first or second place.

(To the winners, let's be friends! Hehe)

But do you know how much the lottery winnings can be?

In the past, you had to scratch the ticket to see if you won,

but nowadays, the prize money changes frequently depending on the sales of the lottery.

Even if the chances of winning become incredibly small in these days,

people tend to buy more tickets when the prize money is large.

So, today, for those curious about how high the lottery winnings can go,

I will introduce the prize amounts for lotteries in various countries!

1. Japan: Takarakuji Lotto 7 (ロト7)

In Japan, lotteries are called Takarakuji (宝くじ).

Most of these Takarakuji in Japan are managed by Mizuho Bank, which also announces the prize money.

An interesting fact about Japanese lotteries is that the prize money is not taxed.

This is because the lottery is limited to designated cities for purchase, and taxes are already collected at the time of sale.

Returning to the topic, there are three main types of lotteries in Japan: Mini Lotto, Lotto 6, and Lotto 7.

Mini Lotto requires you to match 5 numbers from 1 to 31,

Lotto 6 requires you to match 6 numbers from 1 to 43,

and Lotto 7 requires you to match 7 numbers from 1 to 37.

The winning prize varies significantly due to the different winning probabilities,

but for Lotto 7, which has the highest prize money, the first-place prize is 1 billion yen as of July 5, 2024, according to Mizuho Bank’s official announcement.

That is approximately $6.28 million at the current exchange rate. (Excluding carryover)

(Mizuho Bank official data. The carryover amount if there is no first-place winner is also notable.)

2. USA - Powerball and Mega Millions

In the USA, Powerball and Mega Millions are the two dominant lotteries.

Both have very similar winning methods as of 2024:

Mega Millions: Match 5 numbers from 1 to 70, then match 1 Mega Ball number from 1 to 25.
Powerball: Match 5 numbers from 1 to 69, then match 1 Powerball number from 1 to 26.

Due to the very low odds of winning, the prize money often carries over frequently.

In the case of American lotteries, 30% of the prize money is deducted as tax, regardless of the ticket purchase cost.

Foreigners can also win, but tickets must be purchased within the USA,

so if you're planning to travel to the USA, give it a try.

Given the similar methods and probabilities of winning, the prize amounts for both lotteries are also similar.

As of early July, the current Mega Millions prize stands at $181 million.

The historical highest prize amounts show truly staggering figures.