New Mega Millions (probability)

In this activity, students apply their understanding of probability and combinations to investigate a bold new claim by the Mega Millions lottery: “Your odds of winning are better than before!” But is that really true — or just clever marketing?

This activity progresses from easy to more advanced:

Part 1: A simple lottery game to build conceptual understanding of probability. 

Part 2: A deep dive into the updated Mega Millions game and its real odds.

Part 3: A challenge question that pushes students to apply their knowledge using real numbers and critical thinking. (Only available to adventurer members - see supporting materials) 

🎯 Advanced/older students can jump straight to Part 3 or see our older version of this activity by searching "Mega Millions"
📝 Suitable for Grades 7+
⏰ Time: 40 minutes excluding the challenge