433 people win a lottery jackpot – impossible? Probability and psychology suggest it's more likely than you’d think
- Written by Stephen Woodcock, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney
ShutterstockMore than a few eyebrows were raised at the weekend when it was reported a staggering 433 people won the jackpot of a government-backed lottery in the Philippines – sharing in 236 million pesos (about A$6.2 million).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has led to calls for an enquiry into how this seemingly “near-impossible”...




