The State Powerball Winners Are Most Commonly From

The word on everybody's mind for the past week has been "Powerball" — and now, the lottery's jackpot has risen to $1.4 billion dollars, with an approximately $868 million dollar cash payout before the 25 percent federal tax withholding and state taxes. This competition of, well, luck and location has existed since 1988, when it was called Lotto*America. Both the name and game were changed on Apr. 19, 1992 to the Powerball we know and love. Ever since then, ordinary people from around the country have spent their $2 per ticket with the ambition of hitting it big — and this week is certainly no exception. Are you one of these Americans? If so, you might wonder where the most Powerball winners are from, and how your state ranks among them.

According to Powerball data, the state with the highest number of winning tickets sold is Indiana, with 38 winners since 1990. However, Pennsylvania, which only began the sale of Powerball tickets in 2002, has produced 17 winning tickets in that short span, making this a trickier business than it might seem at first. It really all comes down to luck, as NJ.com will attest — though, speaking for my home state, it's possible New Jerseyians are just jealous of their neighbors to the west, who have out-won them by 14 tickets. In any case, Missouri is also up there, with 31 winners since 1988. Minnesota hosts 22 since 1990. Kentucky has 18 since 1991. And Louisiana trails just behind, with 15 winners since 1995.

Sadly for them, North Dakota, Vermont, Maine, and Wyoming have yet to produce any winners. Virginia, Arkansas, and Washington have one winner each, making them the states with the lowest number of winners to date. However, none of this is as frustrating as lotto life must feel for residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Mississippi, and Alabama, which don't even participate in Powerball.

But there is good news for hopefuls! It isn't uncommon for people from states like Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Mississippi, or Ohio to cross state borders and acquire winning numbers. According to Powerball rules, it is acceptable to purchase tickets outside of a resident's home state. However, the resident is subject to the taxes and rules of the state where the tickets were purchased. So if you're trying this week to hit the jackpot — and good luck to all! — you might want to reconsider where you purchase your Powerball tickets.