Talk about odds: in 2010, the Israel lottery drew the same six numbers it did three weeks earlier.

    The likelihood of this happening are roughly one in four trillion.

    "I wish I’d torn that ticket up." This quote is attributed to Andrew "Jack" Whittaker who won $315 million at the Powerball jackpot in 2012. First, Mr. Whittaker was robbed and sued, then both his daughter and granddaughter died.

    70%: the percentage of lottery winners who either lose all of their winnings or spend them all within seven years.

    44, 38, and 40 represent the most commonly drawn numbers in the lottery.

    $584,402,676: the amount you would need to spend on buying lottery tickets if you wanted to play every possible combination of a $2 ticket and be guaranteed to win.

    1-in-292,201,338: the probability of winning if you purchased thousands of tickets as the probability does not increase with further draws.

    44 states: the number of US states that participate in the lottery. Six states have opted out: Utah, Alabama, Alaska, Mississippi, Hawaii, and Nevada. Nevada does not participate because the state already benefits from gambling profits.

    $1.5 billion (January 2016): the largest jackpot in U.S. history The winning tickets were sold in California, Texas, and Florida.

    A-list actors, comedians and other celebrities routinely poke fun at the lottery or make remarks that stress its importance in our culture. A couple of examples:

    Play MegaMillions and dozens of lotteries around the globe in one place. >>

    "A friend bought me a plane ticket to Hawaii, which is where I got discovered and became an actor, so I guess a friend bought me a winning lottery ticket."  (Chris Pratt)

    "Here’s something to think about: How come you never see a headline like ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?"