Alright so unfortunately New York Lotto has been gutted in recent years facing tough competition from Mega Millions and Powerball.
Initial jackpot was cut from $3,000,000 to $2,000,000, and rollover amount decreased from $500k to $300k. And of course the low-tier prizes suck.
Since so few evidently play it, the last Lotto jackpot built up for months until a $42,500,000 jackpot win last October.
However the actual rollover amount seems to vary... I am curious if anyone knows what the Lotto's methodology for increasing the rollover amount is? Is this a standard pattern to be expected in each Lotto jackpot build-up?
In the last Lotto cycle the rollover was $300k until it reached $13.7 million (where it is now), after which rollover increased to $400k and jumped to $14.1 million, then $14.5 million, etc. until it reached $16.1 million when it started increasing by $500k to $16.6 million then $17.1 million, then it jumped $600k to $17.7 million and $18.3 million and kept increasing by $600k until it reached $28.5 million, after which the rollover amount dropped back to $500k and remained there until the $42.5 million jackpot was won.
Meanwhile in this Lotto cycle so far, it was increasing by $300k until it reached $10.1 million, then jumped $400k to $10.5 million, $10.9 million, etc. currently as mentioned at $13.7 million.
What determines when the rollover amount is supposed to increase and decrease? Is it actually based on how many people are playing and putting money into it, or what explains this (welcomed) variance from what is supposed to be just a $300k rollover each time?
Also just a question about the "Bonus number". The Lotto format is technically considered 6/59+1/53.
The odds of hitting all 6 numbers for the jackpot are 1/45,057,474.
But the odds of hitting 5 numbers + the bonus number are 1/7,509,579
If the Lotto is drawing 7 numbers (6+the bonus) out of 59, what exactly makes that 7th number so much more likely to match up with the other 5 numbers drawn than the 6th number drawn? What am I missing about the math behind this?
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Thanks!