'Eyes Down' for the Best Chance of Winning a Million

A Cambridge University mathematician claims that Bingo is the best bet to win big cash prizes. Dr Oliver Johnson, a researcher in probability and statistics, worked out that the national bingo game gives you a 200,000-1 chance of becoming a millionaire.

Dr Johnson compared the odds on a £10 bet placed on various gambling formats. Bingo just pipped sports betting which came in with odds of 247,596-1 of winning a million. The national lottery and television’s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" trailed in well behind with odds of over a million to one.

According to these calculations taking part in the National Bingo Game could mean you are over seven times more likely to hit the jackpot than playing the National Lottery or phoning up the TV quiz show.

The 31-year-old Dr Johnson simplified his calculations by ignoring the effects of skill or judgement that can effect outcomes in sports betting or quiz shows. He based his odds for bingo on the national bingo game which takes place when the country’s bingo clubs all link-up for an evening of nationwide bingo. Organisers estimate 200,000 tickets will be sold for this game with £1m on offer for the winner. The odds for "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" are based on the fact that there had been 38 million calls to the program, 600 people actually in the seat and only 3 winners.

"Bingo represented the best value among all the bets, giving a better chance than all the others" said Dr Johnson, who has given up gambling himself, adding "All these games are based on chance and nothing you will do can ever guarantee success."

Odds on winning a Million:

22nd January 2008