Python: IndexError: list index out of range

Question

I think I have my program completed, but... it doesn't work. I'm trying to write a program that simulates a lottery game, but when I try to check the user's guesses against the number of guesses on the ticket, I get an error that tells me the "list index is out of range". I think it has something to do with the part of the code where I assign the random digits to "a," "b", "c", etc. But I'm not sure.

Here is the code in it's entirety:

import random

def main():
random.seed()

#Prompts the user to enter the number of tickets they wish to play.
tickets = int(input("How many lottery tickets do you want?\n"))

#Creates the dictionaries "winning_numbers" and "guess." Also creates the variable "winnings" for total amount of money won.
winning_numbers = []
guess = []
winnings = 0

#Generates the winning lotto numbers.
for i in range(tickets):
    del winning_numbers[:]

    a = random.randint(1,30)
    while not (a in winning_numbers):
        winning_numbers.append(a)

    b = random.randint(1,30)
    while not (b in winning_numbers):
        winning_numbers.append(b)

    c = random.randint(1,30)
    while not (c in winning_numbers):
        winning_numbers.append(c)

    d = random.randint(1,30)
    while not (d in winning_numbers):
        winning_numbers.append(d)

    e = random.randint(1,30)
    while not (e in winning_numbers):
        winning_numbers.append(e)

    print(winning_numbers)
    getguess(guess, tickets)
    nummatches = checkmatch(winning_numbers, guess)

    print("Ticket #"+str(i+1)+": The winning combination was",winning_numbers,".You matched",nummatches,"number(s).\n")

    if nummatches == 0 or nummatches == 1:
        winnings = winnings + 0
    elif nummatches == 2:
        winnings = winnings + 10
    elif nummatches == 3:
        winnings = winnings + 500
    elif nummatches == 4:
        winnings = winnings + 20000
    elif nummatches == 5:
        winnings = winnings + 1000000

print("You won a total of",winnings,"with",tickets,"tickets.\n")

#Gets the guess from the user.
def getguess(guess, tickets):
del guess[:]

for i in range(tickets):
    bubble = input("What numbers do you want to choose for ticket #"+str(i+1)+"?\n").split(" ")
    guess.append(bubble)
print(bubble)

#Checks the user's guesses with the winning numbers.
def checkmatch(winning_numbers, guess):
match = 0
for i in range(5):

    if guess[i] == winning_numbers[i]:
        match = match+1

return match

main()

And here is the error I get:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Ryan\Downloads\Program # 2\Program # 2\lottery.py", line 85, in <module>
    main()
  File "C:\Users\Ryan\Downloads\Program # 2\Program # 2\lottery.py", line 45, in main
   nummatches = checkmatch(winning_numbers, guess)
File "C:\Users\Ryan\Downloads\Program # 2\Program # 2\lottery.py", line 79, in checkmatch
    if guess[i] == winning_numbers[i]:
IndexError: list index out of range

Answer 1

As the error notes, the problem is in the line:

if guess[i] == winning_numbers[i]

The error is that your list indices are out of range--that is, you are trying to refer to some index that doesn't even exist. Without debugging your code fully, I would check the line where you are adding guesses based on input:

for i in range(tickets):
    bubble = input("What numbers do you want to choose for ticket #"+str(i+1)+"?\n").split(" ")
    guess.append(bubble)
print(bubble)

The size of how many guesses you are giving your user is based on

# Prompts the user to enter the number of tickets they wish to play.
tickets = int(input("How many lottery tickets do you want?\n"))

So if the number of tickets they want is less than 5, then your code here

for i in range(5):

if guess[i] == winning_numbers[i]:
    match = match+1

return match

will throw an error because there simply aren't that many elements in the guess list.