Scratch & 50/50
50/50 Odds Calculator: Your Chance and Value
Enter your tickets, the tickets sold and the pot. You see your chance in a 50/50 raffle, the average value of a ticket and the cost per ticket in each bundle.
With a prize of $45,000, your 10 tickets are worth $7.50 on average for the $20 you paid. The rest is not lost to a company: a 50/50 splits the money between the winner and the cause it raises funds for.
Each dot is 60 tickets. Your tickets fill less than one dot.
| Bundle | Per ticket | Chance | Value per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 for $10 | $3.33 | 1 in 20,000 | $0.23 |
| 10 for $20 | $2.00 | 1 in 6,000 | $0.38 |
| 50 for $50 | $1.00 | 1 in 1,200 | $0.75 |
A bigger bundle costs less per ticket, so each dollar buys more chance and more average value – but you spend more in total. Across all buyers, the prize is the set share of all sales. The prize grows until the draw, so these numbers move as sales go on.
How it is calculated
Every ticket in the drum has the same chance, so with k of N tickets your chance is k ÷ N, or “1 in N ÷ k”.
N ÷ k60,000 ÷ 10
Average value of your tickets = prize × k ÷ N.
Average value$7.50
Your chance
Chance = your tickets ÷ all tickets sold in the draw
Example: For example, holding a small share of a large draw can mean a chance of 1 in 40,000.
Bundle prices
| Bundle | Price | Cost per ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Five-pack | $25 | $5.00 |
| Fifteen-pack | $50 | $3.33 |
| Twenty-five-pack | $75 | $3.00 |
| Fifty-pack | $100 | $2.00 |
Prices from the 50/50 add-on of one Ontario hospital lottery. A lower cost per ticket does not change the chance of any single ticket.
Value per ticket
Winner's share
half of the jackpotThe jackpot, or pot, is the total the draw rules use to set the prize; the winner receives half of it. The Add-On rules we checked set a guaranteed minimum.
Average value
half the pot ÷ tickets soldThis is what one ticket returns on average. In a typical draw it is less than the ticket price. A guaranteed minimum prize can raise it.
50/50 draw vs home lottery
50/50 draw
- One prize in the Add-On rules we checked
- Prize is half of the pot, with a guaranteed minimum in the Add-On rules
- Unlimited ticket count in the Add-On rules we checked
- There, the chance is known only after sales close
Home lottery
- Fixed number of tickets to be sold
- Many prizes of different values
- Chances published before the draw
- Details: Hospital Home Lottery Odds
Who licenses 50/50 draws
| Where | Who decides | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Criminal Code) | Province issues the licence | A charity may run a raffle under a provincial licence |
| Canada (Criminal Code) | Licensed charity raffle | Computer may sell tickets and pick the winner, under set conditions |
| British Columbia | Province | 50/50 draws and raffles must be licensed |
| Ontario | AGCO | Regulates charity raffles, bingo and break open tickets |
| Alberta | AGLC | Eligible charitable groups need a raffle licence |
| Québec | RACJ (the Régie) | Issues draw licences; one class covers 50/50 draws |
Summary of the official sources listed below. The answer depends on the laws where you live; this page is not legal advice.
Sources
- AGCO – Charitable gaming · checked Oct 29, 2026
- AGLC – Raffle licences · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Province of British Columbia – Gambling in B.C. · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Criminal Code of Canada – section 207 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- RACJ – Exploiter un tirage, une loterie instantanée ou une roue de fortune · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Princess Margaret Home Lottery – Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
What are the odds of winning a 50/50 draw?
Divide your tickets by all tickets sold. For example, a chance of 1 in 40,000 means your single ticket is among that many tickets sold. Enter the final ticket count in the calculator above to see your exact chance.
How much does the 50/50 winner get?
In the rules we checked, the single winner receives half of the jackpot. Those Add-On rules also set a guaranteed minimum prize.
What does holding more tickets change?
More tickets raise your share of all tickets sold. In a typical draw one ticket returns on average less than its price, so each extra ticket adds to the expected loss.
Who can run a 50/50 raffle in Canada?
Under the Criminal Code, charities and religious groups need a provincial licence, and proceeds must go to charitable or religious purposes. Québec also licenses some public-place draws. The answer depends on the laws where you live; this page is not legal advice.
How do 50/50 odds compare with other lotteries?
A 50/50 chance depends on tickets sold. Other games publish fixed odds – compare them in Which Canadian Lottery Has the Best Odds?.