Which State has the Most Lottery Wins?

Have you ever wondered which state has the most lottery wins? While we would never suggest you move to boost your chances of winning the lottery, it’s interesting to note that some states’ residents have better luck when it comes to hitting jackpots. In this guide, you’ll learn about these states and other interesting lottery facts.

We’ve covered the states with the highest number of winners and all the factors that could have helped stack the odds in their favor. For more details, check out our guide to online lottery sites.

From there, we’ve discussed the biggest multi-state games and the biggest national draw games, many of which most of our readers will be able to take part in. To round out the guide, we’ve discussed the important topic of lottery taxation and online lottery ticket sales.

• Why It’s Important to Consider Top Winner States
• The State With the Most Winners
• The Biggest State Games
• The Biggest National Games
• Lottery Taxes by State
• States With Online Lottery

What State Has the Most Lottery Winners: Influential Factors

The lottery in the US is a major national pastime that has made millionaires of many lucky players and generated billions of dollars for important state programs. However, there are some states that tend to have created many more winners than others. There are several factors that can impact this.

For instance, some lotteries have existed since the 1960s, while others were established in the 1990s. Additionally, each state offers a varying number of games, so states that have more options are bound to produce more winners than others. Finally, each state has varying payout rates which have an impact on how much can be awarded.

The State With the Most Lottery Winners

There are five notable states that have produced the most lottery wins and several reasons for this. In this section, we’ve outlined the top five winning states, starting with the number one state, New York. In each case, there are distinct reasons for why this is the case in addition to good luck.

New York

New York generates the largest annual revenues in lottery ticket sales in the US and the second-largest revenues per capita. As the state with the most lottery winners, there are nine winners of jackpot prizes exceeding $150 million, and countless other winners of prizes exceeding $1 million since the lottery was formed in 1967. The local New York Lotto game starts at $2 million.

Florida

The second-largest state in terms of revenues is Florida, with ticket sales exceeding $9 billion every year. Since it was formed in 1988, more than $87.5 billion has been paid out in prizes to Floridians, with more than 3,500 people made millionaires. The local Florida Lotto’s jackpot prize starts at $1 million, so it’s clear to see why it has the most lottery wins.

California

As the most populous state, it should come as no surprise that California has produced more than 1,000 jackpot winners since 1985. The state generates roughly $9 billion in annual lottery ticket sales, with the local SuperLotto Plus jackpot starting at $7 million. The biggest-ever jackpot prize of $2.04 billion was won in California in 2022.

Indiana

Indiana holds the record for the state with the most lottery winners of the Powerball game. This is interesting, considering the fact that it generates one-tenth of the revenues of California but has produced more than three times the winners. However, it’s important to note that Indiana was one of the first states to offer the Powerball.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts generates the largest per-capita revenues for the lottery every year, with a huge $746 spent per resident in 2020. This is almost double the amount spent by New Yorkers. This spending correlates to winners of its local draw games, with hundreds of thousands of people winning prizes from scratch cards alone in 2023.

The Biggest Multi-State Games

Many of the states with the most lottery wins benefit from offering a selection of other games in addition to the major national draw games. These are called multi-state games, as they offer linked jackpots to players in several states. We have described the most popular multi-state games in this section.

Cash4Life

At $2 a ticket, Cash4Life players have the opportunity to win the amazing prize of $1,000 a day for the rest of their life. Alternatively, they can choose to receive their winnings as $7 million in a once-off payment. The game requires players to pick five white balls and one green cash ball. Second-tier prizes include $1,000 a week per life. The game is played in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, New Hersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life is similar to Cash4Life in that winners can win $1,000 a day for the rest of their lives. However, it has a much wider reach and is played in 22 states such as the Colorado lottery. Winners can also opt for a one-time payment of $5.75 million, while the second prize is set at $25,000 a year for life. Single entry tickets cost $2.

Lotto America

After the scandal-ridden Hot Lotto was discontinued, Lotto America was formed in 2017 as a replacement. This was the original name given to the Powerball. Tickets cost $2 and it is played in 13 states, including Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee. The jackpot starts at $2 million, with the largest prize of $40 million won in 2023.

The Biggest National Games

There are two national draw games that are renowned for producing the most lottery wins over $100 million. These include the Powerball and Mega Millions. Both are played in all 45 states that have legal lotteries and have generated top jackpot prizes that exceed $1 billion.

Powerball

Launched in 1992, the Powerball costs between $2 and $3 per ticket and is drawn three times a week. Players are to pick five white balls and one Powerball, with the odds of winning set at 1 in 292 million. In 2022, the draw game set the US record for the largest-ever jackpot prize of $2.04 billion.

Mega Millions

The current iteration of Mega Millions has been drawn since 2002, with two games held every week. Tickets cost $2, with the minimum jackpot prize set at $20 million. The largest ever Mega Millions prize was awarded in 2018, with $1.537 billion won by a sole anonymous winner.

State Lottery Taxes

Most lottery wins will be taxed by states in addition to the federal government. However, there are 10 states that require no additional taxes on many games, including the Powerball and Mega Millions. As we’ve covered in our Washington lottery guide, these are among the best states to win the lottery.

As for states that do charge additional state taxes, these can range between 2.9%, which is the rate in North Dakota, and as high as 10.9%, which is charged on winnings over $25 million in New York. Therefore, where you purchase the ticket can have a major impact on how much you take home.

States With Online Lottery

In most states, you are legally required to purchase your tickets at land-based official retailers. However, there are now seven states that permit players to purchase tickets online at official lottery websites. The states include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, and New Hampshire.

Some states have limited online options, and only allow you to purchase national draw game tickets. Other states such as Georgia and Kentucky offer online-only digital lottery games such as Keno and virtual scratch cards. These can be similar to online slots though have relatively low payout rates.