CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A new study says that if you’re looking to win a lottery jackpot, West Virginia is one of the best states to be in.
The Online Betting Guide (OLBG) study wanted to learn if living in different states made you more likely to win a Powerball jackpot. Since the Powerball started in 1992, West Virginia Lottery has sold five jackpot-winning tickets, with the most recent being in 2020. While five in more than 30 years doesn’t seem like much, it’s actually the third-best odds in the country.
According to OLBG, West Virginia’s winning rate is 2.83 winners per one million people, which is topped only by Delaware and New Hampshire.
However, if you do hit a jackpot in West Virginia, historically, you will get less money from it than some other states. The average jackpot winnings in West Virginia is $108.75 million, the 32nd best in the country. By comparison, Maine, which had its first-ever jackpot win earlier this year, averages more than a billion dollars per win (although it only has one).
If you live in Mississippi, North Dakota or Wyoming, so far your odds are good; no one in those states has ever won a jackpot. And if you live in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah, you don’t even have a chance to win because those states don’t offer Powerball.
To see where all the states rank, you can read the full study here.