Virginia has had winners that claimed the jackpot in both the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery games, but despite this, one lottery expert says Virginians have one of the lowest probabilities to win the lottery.
Lottery enthusiasts have often wondered whether the state of residence influences the likelihood of winning the jackpot.
LotteryCritic did an analysis and found that residents in Virginia actually have some of the lowest odds of winning compared to other states on the Eastern Seaboard – at 0.00000064 percent.
Despite the odds, the Pennsylvania Lottery executive director reminds players that it only takes one ticket to win.
“It’s an exciting time to play when the Powerball jackpot reaches this level, and that excitement is further compounded when there is also a huge Mega Millions jackpot,” said Drew Svitko, Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director. “We typically see players purchase tickets for both games when the jackpots are this high and remind players that it only takes one ticket to win a life-changing prize.”
Virginia jackpot history
The most recent Powerball jackpot win for Virginia occurred in March, when a jackpot of $162 million was won by an individual who purchased their ticket in Pulaski County. According to the Virginia Lottery, this was the fourth-largest prize ever won in a Virginia Lottery game. It was the second Powerball jackpot won in Virginia.
The last Virginian to win the Mega Millions jackpot was in July 2015 when a Bristow resident won $7.5 million.
More information
Florida sells the most winning tickets across various tiers, despite not having the highest individual probability of winning. This can be attributed to Florida’s status as a retirement destination and its popularity among tourists, significantly boosting ticket sales.
While Virginia has low odds of winning, Washington D.C. actually ranks logs the fewest lottery wins.
“While some may believe that certain states are luckier than others, our analysis reveals that a higher individual probability of winning doesn’t always translate into a higher number of wins on a state level,” said Jonathan Merry, LotteryCritic’s CEO.
For more detailed information on LotteryCritic’s analysis and findings, click here.
Upcoming drawings
- Tuesday, July 11, 11 p.m. EST: Mega Millions, estimated at $480 million. Tickets are $2 each. A Megaplier is available for an additional $1 in most areas. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Wednesday, July 12, 10:59 p.m. EST: Powerball, estimated at $725 million. Tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Crystal Graham
