The New York Lottery's motto is, "Hey, you never know." And, hey, you never do know until you join in the fun of trying to improve your chances of winning the US Powerball.
While there are those of you who enjoy deciphering which numbers most commonly turn up in winning draws, there are the superstitious amongst us who believe it's all about where you buy the ticket. In fact, there are numerous stories about lottery players travelling to a specific store, which has recently sold a jackpot-winning ticket, to purchase their tickets in the hope of increasing their chances of having the same happy outcome.
Would it be totally insane to take a road trip to a "lucky" state to increase your chances of winning? You never know!
With that in mind, we thought we'd take you on a flight of fancy to the luckiest states where the biggest winners have been found.
The Luckiest US States That Dominate Powerball
In the past couple of years, it looks like certain states have really capitalized on the Powerball lottery. The game is played in 44 of the US states (as well as Washington D.C., the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico), with some states having sold tickets since Powerball launched in 1992, and others steadily joining over the years to help drive up those incredible jackpots.
If you're a big Powerball fan, though, you'll want to live in Indiana or Pennsylvania. According to reports from the Multi-State Lottery Association, these are two of the luckiest states in America to play the game, but they're not the only ones.
Pennsylvania has claimed the jackpot no less than 17 times, and Indiana a whopping 39 times. On the other hand, New Jersey has claimed the jackpot a mere three times.
Let's break it down and look at the 10 luckiest states along with how many winners they have produced.
- Indiana has had 39 jackpot winners
- Missouri boasts 31 lucky Powerball jackpot winners
- Minnesota is home to 22 winners
- Kentucky has produced 18 winning tickets
- Pennsylvania has 17 lucky jackpot winners
- Louisiana has scooped the jackpot 16 times
- Wisconsin also has 16 winners
- Arizona has produced 13 winning Powerball tickets
- Florida is home to 12 jackpot winners
- Washington, D.C. has seen 11 residents scoop Powerball's millions
What Are the Winning States' Secrets?
The amount of jackpot wins in each state actually has something to do with when they jumped on the Powerball bandwagon.
For instance, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C., were among the first states to join Powerball when it launched. That may be one reason why those states have a higher number of wins.
That's not to say you have less chance of taking home the big bucks if you live elsewhere. While some of the big-win states tend to have an edge on others because of their lottery longevity, others that have joined Powerball more recently do have numerous winners. For instance, California only joined the lottery in 2013 and has already produced eight jackpot winners to date.
How Can You Improve Your Chances of Hitting the Jackpot?
No matter where you are, you probably fancy the chances of being a millionaire, or even a billionaire some draws. Fortunately, you don't have to cross the border to find the "right" state or store to purchase your ticket any longer.
Now, you can use the tips below to get your Powerball tickets online, right from the comfort of your favourite armchair.
If you are ready to pick your numbers and cross your fingers, here are a few tips:
Do your research to see if the numbers you pick have ever won before. Sometimes, the odds of the numbers winning again are few and far between.
Choose ten sets of numbers and then play them equally on different draws.
Avoid only playing anniversaries and birthdays. Those numbers only go up to 31, which means you'll never try your luck with numbers 32 through 49; you'll also be playing similar numbers as others, so the likelihood of having to share your prize if you win increases, too.
Choose your own numbers instead of letting the machine do it, for a similar reason to the point above. The Quick Pick option may choose duplicate sets of numbers, but if you pick them yourself, you can avoid this; Quick Pick tickets may also choose commonly picked numbers, meaning if you win, your chances of having to share the prize is higher.
Use some of our cutting-edge tools to sort through and analyze previous Powerball draw data.
Are You Feeling Lucky?
Sure, there are certain states that appear to have better luck than others. But, don't let that stop you vying for your piece of the jackpot pie just because you don't live in one of them.
These days, you are not confined to buying your lottery tickets in person. With the internet at your fingertips, you can play the Powerball from home, leveraging the best odds and the highest wins.
Go on, you never know! It could just be your lucky day.