PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Lottery plans to introduce a game similar to a school or charity raffle to give players a little better odds of winning than the odds of getting hit by lightning.

In January, players will be able to pay $10 a ticket for a chance to win $1 million, and lesser prizes of $20,000 and $100.

Unlike other lotteries, sales will be limited to 250,000 tickets.

"We sell a limited amount of tickets, so the odds of winning are great," said Mary Loftin, public affairs manager for the Oregon Lottery.

For the raffle, the odds of winning $1 million are one in 250,000.

By contrast, the chance of winning a Megabucks jackpot is one in 6 million, says Chuck Baumann, spokesman for the Oregon Lottery. The chance of winning the top Powerball prize is one in 146 million.

The National Weather Service estimates the odds that anyone will be struck by lightning in a given year at one in 700,000.

Lottery officials say the new game is part of a plan to attract players and keep making money for the state, especially at a time when a state smoking ban in January is expected to drive down profits from video lottery.

At least 19 other states have pitched raffles as an easier way for players to win a large jackpot. Most states have million-dollar jackpots with $20 tickets. But results have been mixed.

Michigan will launch its ninth lottery raffle next month, said Andi Brancato, spokeswoman for the Michigan Lottery. The "Super Raffle," as it's called, has two $2 million jackpots. Tickets are $50 each.

The high-stakes raffle debuted last year, and tickets sold out in two days, she said.

But neither of two raffles in California sold out. In Washington state, the lottery sold only 230,000 of 375,000 tickets for its most recent raffle.

The raffle could be a big moneymaker for Oregon, says Bob Whelan, a Portland economist with ECONorthwest.

If the lottery sells all of its tickets, it would keep nearly 50 cents of every dollar wagered, he said. Powerball is the only other game where the state keeps a greater share, he said.

He wasn't impressed by the game: "You would get the same odds betting a typical charitable raffle and not pay the income tax."