International Lottery Comparison: Powerball, EuroMillions vs Korean Lotto
News of overseas lottery prizes reaching hundreds of billions or sometimes exceeding trillion won is always intriguing. America’s Powerball and Europe’s EuroMillions are the world’s most famous lotteries. How do they differ from Korea’s Lotto?
World’s Top 3 Lotteries at a Glance
| Category | USA Powerball | Europe EuroMillions | Korea Lotto 6/45 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Format | 5 white balls (1 | 5 main numbers (1 | 6 numbers (1~45) |
| 1st Prize Winning Probability | About 1 in 292.2 million | About 1 in 139.83 million | About 1 in 8.145 million |
| Highest Prize Ever | About $2.04 billion (about 2.6 trillion KRW) | 230 million euros (about 320 billion KRW) | 40.7 billion KRW (19th draw) |
| Tax Structure | Federal tax (up to 37%) + state tax separately | Mostly tax-free | 33% on amounts exceeding 300 million KRW |
What’s Different? Detailed Analysis
1. Winning Probability: An Insurmountable Wall
Korean Lotto’s 1st prize winning probability is about 1 in 8.145 million. In contrast, Powerball is about 1 in 292.2 million, about 36 times harder than Korean Lotto. EuroMillions is also about 1 in 140 million, incomparably lower probability than Korean Lotto.
2. Prize Money: Life-Changing Scale
Powerball has no limit on rollovers, so prize money can accumulate indefinitely. In 2016, the highest prize money in world lottery history, about 2.6 trillion KRW, appeared. In contrast, Korean Lotto can only roll over up to 2 times, limiting prize money size.
3. Taxes: The Most Important Difference
- Powerball: Federal tax (up to 37%) + state tax added
- EuroMillions: Tax-free in most participating countries
- Korean Lotto: 33% on amounts exceeding 300 million KRW
While the tax rate alone may seem high for Korean Lotto, Powerball’s prize money itself is so large that even after taxes, the received amount is much larger.