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From: suhina@kodak.UUCP (brian suhina)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: sweepstakes odds
Message-ID: <215@kodak.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jan-86 14:36:21 EST
Article-I.D.: kodak.215
Posted: Wed Jan 15 14:36:21 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 07:11:05 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY
Lines: 15

The Jan. 12, 1986 edition of the Rochester (N.Y.) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
had an interesting article on the odds of winning one of these current
sweepstakes. The article was written by William P. Barrett of the DALLAS
TIMES HERALD. The information comes from the disclosers New York requires.
The current "Publishers Clearing House" $10 million contest has odds against
winning that are 427,600,000 to 1 (that's right, I typed the correct
number of zeros). Also only $1 million is guaranteed and the winner will
not be chosen for two years. The $10 million will be awarded only if a
preselected entry is returned by an early deadline. He quotes a return rate
of approx. 20% of their entries."Readers Digest" has a contest on now with a
$5 million guaranteed top prize with odds against winning that are
180,000,000 to 1. The worst contest is a separate one by "Publishers
Clearing House" that has a $2 million dollar top prize and odds of
468,625,000 to 1 against winning. Is this what Jimmy the Greek calls
long odds?