# What are my statistical chances of winning something in this small Rotary Club lottery?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-statistical-chances-of-winning-something-in-this-small-rotary-club-lottery/556468>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-statistical-chances-of-winning-something-in-this-small-rotary-club-lottery/556468 "2010-10-08T10:35:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-statistical-chances-of-winning-something-in-this-small-rotary-club-lottery/556468/21 "2010-10-09T14:07:15Z")

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> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Wow – the Rotary Club is making out like a bandit here!
> 
> Assuming they don’t hold the drawing until they have sold all 3500 tickets, they have an income of $35,000 but only pay out 32.8% of that ($11,500) as prizes. No casino in Las Vegas would dare to have a game with such a low payout.

True, but the whole point is that the extra money generated goes to good works in the community vs hookers and blow. Buying a ticket is a tax deductible donation with a small possible upside. Almost 100% of the ticket sales are professionals and business owners etc. buying them as a donation/favor from other professionals.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-statistical-chances-of-winning-something-in-this-small-rotary-club-lottery/556468/22 "2010-10-09T20:20:41Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> Buying a ticket is a tax deductible donation with a small possible upside.

Sorry, even for a charitable organization, the cost of your lottery ticket is not deductible. [So says the IRS](http://www.irs.gov/publications/p526/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000229696).

> [@IRS](#):
>
> You cannot deduct as a charitable contribution amounts you pay to buy raffle or lottery tickets or to play bingo or other games of chance.

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