New Jersey ranks third in the United States for lottery jackpot wins since 2005, according to an analysis of Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot data from the past 20 years.
The Garden State recorded 33 jackpot-winning tickets during the period, placing it behind only California and New York in the ranking of states with the most major lottery jackpot winners.
New Jersey Powerball and Mega Millions Winners
The analysis, conducted by live casino games site Planet 7 Casino, reviewed Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot winners across the United States to identify which states produced the most multi-million-dollar wins.
New Jersey’s ranking was driven mainly by Mega Millions. Of the state’s 33 jackpot wins, 21 came from Mega Millions tickets, while 12 came from Powerball.
That makes New Jersey one of the strongest states for major lottery wins, especially among Northeast states. New York ranked second with 46 total jackpot wins, including 33 Mega Millions wins and 13 Powerball wins.
States With the Most Lottery Jackpot Winners
California led the national ranking with 54 total jackpot winners since 2005. Mega Millions accounted for 37 of those wins, making it the biggest driver of California’s top position.
Florida completed the top five but showed a different pattern. Unlike New Jersey, New York and California, Florida’s ranking was led by Powerball, which produced 17 of its 22 total jackpot wins.
At the lower end of the list, Wyoming, Mississippi, North Dakota, Montana and Vermont were identified as states with no Mega Millions jackpot winners during the reviewed period.
Even with New Jersey’s strong ranking, lottery players still face extremely long odds. The official jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 for Powerball and 1 in 290,472,336 for Mega Millions.
For New Jersey lottery players, the ranking adds to the Garden State’s reputation as one of America’s most successful places for major jackpot wins, while also showing that every ticket remains a very long shot.
