Easter Show games of chance

In this lesson, students will calculate the probability of an average person scoring a shot at a basketball game at the Easter Show. They will then use these probabilities to design a payout system which can absorb the losses from an average player winning big, whilst profiting from the average player who scores very poorly, and thereby understand how game operators ‘play the odds’ to remain profitable. They will then generalise this understanding to other forms of gambling, specifically poker machines, to understand how gambling companies profit from gamblers in the long run even whilst paying out big jackpots. Finally, they will reflect on how this informs their approach to gambling. The lesson is outlined in detail including NSW curriculum links, learning intentions, discussion points, materials required, student handouts, student and teacher reflection points. This lesson is part of the GambleAware program from the Office of Responsible Gambling, Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade, NSW Government.