Put two long-shot odds side by side and read the ratio
Words alone will not tell you whether a Korean Lotto 6/45 jackpot or a lightning strike is the rarer event. Pick a prize tier and a comparison, and the tool shows both odds as 1-in-N and as a percentage, then works out the ratio between them.
Figures used and their basis
The Korean Lotto 6/45 (pick 6 of 45 numbers) rests on the 8,145,060 possible combinations, giving 1 in 8,145,060 for the jackpot, 1 in 1,357,510 for 2nd, about 1 in 35,724 for 3rd (5 matches with the bonus not matched, 228 combinations), 1 in 733 for 4th and 1 in 45 for 5th. The lightning odds are the US National Weather Service figures of 1 in 1,222,000 in a given year and 1 in 15,300 over an 80-year life, based on a 2009-2018 average and an estimated 2019 US population of 330 million. The ratio is simply one denominator divided by the other, and the custom field lets you compare any 1-in-N value you enter.
Limits and what is out of scope
The lightning figure is a per-capita average, and the same agency warns it is not any one person's probability and varies widely with location and lifestyle. Figures for other countries are not confirmed by an official source here, and competing values such as 1 in 700,000 circulate. The Korean Lotto 6/45 3rd tier excludes the bonus-match cases, which belong to 2nd, and per-ticket expected value or expected loss per ticket is not covered. This is reference material as of October 2026 and not an encouragement to buy: over the long run Korean Lotto 6/45 play accumulates expected loss.
Frequently asked questions
Different tallying periods and population estimates give different results. This tool uses only the US National Weather Service figures of 1 in 1,222,000 in a given year and 1 in 15,300 over an 80-year life, based on a 2009-2018 average and an estimated 2019 population of 330 million. Other numbers such as 1 in 700,000 or 1 in 960,000 circulate widely but rest on different periods and bases.
No. That figure is a per-capita average across the whole population, and the US National Weather Service itself notes it is not any individual's probability and varies widely with location and outdoor lifestyle.
Yes. The Korean Lotto 6/45 3rd tier counts only five main numbers matched with the bonus number not matched: 6 ways to match five of the six winning numbers times 38 ways to pick the sixth from the remaining numbers (the bonus ball excluded) gives 228 combinations, so the odds are 8,145,060 / 228 = about 1 in 35,724 (0.0028%). The 6 combinations that also match the bonus belong to the 2nd tier (1 in 1,357,510).