I think about FF5 a lot. (Probably too much!)
Something I recently thought about has an answer, but only The Florida Lottery knows that answer and has the capability to answer it. Out of the total amount of lines sold each day, I wonder how many of them are truly unique? By a unique line, I mean only YOU have that line. No other player has the exact same line that you do printed on their ticket. If you're the only player with that line, then you will be the sole winner of the jackpot if you match all five winning numbers.
Now, we all know that single winner jackpots do happen, but it seems to me there are more multi-winner jackpots than there are single winner jackpots. So I'm wondering what percentage of all lines sold are truly unique? Is it 25%? That would mean 75% of all lines sold have at least one line duplicated. (At least two players have the exact same line of five numbers printed on both of their tickets) That doesn't hurt anything if there are no winning numbers on the line. (Both players tickets were losers) But if the percentage of duplicate lines sold is more like 50% of all lines sold, then that aint the best thing for players.
Another thing,,, There are 376,992 possible lines (combo's) that could be sold each day, but I'm willing to bet $100 that not each and every one of those 376,992 actually gets sold. How many lines/combo's go unsold?? That's important because if only half of them are sold, then there is a 50/50 chance that there will be a jackpot winner. If 25% of them are sold, that means 75% went unsold, and there probably wont be a jackpot winner and we'd see a rolldown.
How long do you think it would take if you walked around before the drawing comparing your FF5 ticket(s) to other players FF5 ticket(s) before you found somebody with the exact same line you have? Not that a player could or would actually do something that crazy! Nobody would show you their ticket if ya asked them if they were willing to compare FF5 tickets anyway! "Get the Hell outta here you creep!" is probably what you'd hear. I'm sure they'd be willing to show you their ticket after the drawing, and they know they aint got any numbers!
When you stop and think about it, comparing a strangers FF5 ticket to yours prior to the drawing is harmless, but people are funny about things like that, and you'd quickly find out how really stupid people can be! G5