Winner, winner.
A new study revealed which states have the highest chances of winning the Powerball — and sadly, none of the tri-state area is included in the Top 5.
The lottery game, played in 45 American states or territories, offers several different ways to win a prize, ranging from a player matching just the Powerball number and winning only a few dollars to matching all six numbers and winning the jackpot.
A study conducted by CSDB.gg looked at Powerball data from 1992-2025 to figure out where winners of the Match 5, Match 5+ Power Play or Powerball jackpot were most concentrated.
New Jersey and New York ranked 31 and 32 on the list, with only 2.45 and 2.14 wins per 100,000 locals.
On that sad note, it seems like good old Rhode Island is the place to be. Based on the data they analyzed, researchers figured out that there is an estimated 38.39 Powerball wins per 100,000 residents.
Little Rhody has seen 427 total Powerball wins over the past 33 years. Lucky them!
West Virginia came in at No. 2, with 27.29 wins per 100,000 residents. The Mountain State has seen over 483 total Powerball wins — so the odds are in the residents’ favor.
Delaware slid into the third-place spot, followed by New Hampshire, which has had 21.15 wins per 100,000 residents, totaling 285 Powerball wins in history.
Indiana rounded out the list, coming in at No. 5, with 18.41 wins per 100,000 natives.
On the flip side, there are five very unlucky states where the chances of a resident there ever screaming “I won” are slim to none.
California has a recorded 357 total Powerball wins; the Golden State has seen only 0.91 wins per 100,000 residents. Texas trailed close behind, with 0.88 wins per 100,000 people, or 275 total wins.
Wyoming is the next most-losing state, at 0.85 wins, followed by Washington, with only 0.78 wins per 100,000 residents.
And the worst state for lotto lovers to live in? Mississippi.
The Magnolia State has been participating in the Powerball since early 2020 — and within the past five years, it’s only had two wins. It’s estimated that there will be approximately 0.07 wins per 100,000 locals.
“The regional gaps in Powerball wins are striking, with smaller states in the Northeast consistently outperforming larger states in terms of wins per capita,” said Corey Sims, head of content at CSDB.gg.
“This doesn’t mean the lottery is rigged,” Sims said, “it simply highlights that ticket-buying habits vary significantly across regions and that win rates are likely influenced by the year each state began participating in the Powerball.”
