Talk of Powerball is heating up nationwide as Saturday’s draw edges toward a staggering $1.8 billion, making it the second-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. The record jackpot was $2.04 billion, won on Nov. 7, 2022, according to Powerball.
Zooming in on Texas tells a different story. Since joining the multi-state Powerball lottery in February 2010, the state has seen only two jackpot winners. Both came from small North Texas towns, and both wins happened less than two years apart.
On May 29, 2013, a Quick Pick ticket purchased in Bells in Grayson County matched all numbers for a $40 million jackpot. Less than two years later, on Feb. 11, 2015, in Collin County, a Princeton player claimed part of a $564 million prize using their own numbers.
No Texan has taken home the top prize since.
What are the odds of winning Powerball in Texas?
Technically, the odds are the same everywhere: about 1 in 292.2 million for a single ticket, according to Powerball. But Texas history tells its own story.
With three drawings each week, more than 2,300 drawings have taken place since the state joined the game. Out of all those chances, only two jackpots were won in Texas. That means Texans have claimed the jackpot in less than 0.1% of all Powerball drawings in the past 15 years.
On May 29, 2013, a Quick Pick ticket purchased in Bells in Grayson County matched all numbers for a $40 million jackpot. Less than two years later, on Feb. 11, 2015, in Collin County, a Princeton player claimed part of a $564 million prize using their own numbers.
Which state has won the most Powerball drawings?
Indiana tops the list with 39 jackpots since the lottery began, according to Powerball Net, an independent group that compiles data and results from the lottery across the globe. Missouri and Minnesota follow at 31 and 22 jackpots each.
To see how Texas stacks up nationally, consider these states with the most Powerball jackpots since the game began:
| State: | Jackpot Winners: | Percentage of Total Jackpot Winners: |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 39 | 9.3% |
| Missouri | 31 | 7.4% |
| Minnesota | 22 | 5.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 4.8% |
| Kentucky | 19 | 4.5% |
| Wisconsin | 19 | 4.5% |
| California | 17 | 4.1% |
| Florida | 17 | 4.1% |
| Louisiana | 17 | 4.1% |
| Arizona | 14 | 3.3% |
Indiana leads with nearly 10% of all Powerball jackpot wins in U.S. history– Texas, with just two, is far behind.
Which Powerball numbers come up most often?
The Texas Lottery tracks the frequency of numbers, and some digits appear more frequently than others over time.
- 61 has been drawn 115 times
- 21 has appeared 112 times
- 23 has been called 111 times
- 33 has landed 109 times
On the other end of the spectrum, 13 has been drawn only 66 times.
But experts stress that every number has an equal chance in every draw. Frequency charts may look compelling, but they don’t make a number any more or less likely the next time balls tumble.
