Has Kentucky Had the Most Powerball Winners?

Fact Checked by Thomas Leary

Did you know it’s National Lottery Day on July 17?

To celebrate, BetKentucky.com, home to all things Kentucky sports betting, decided to see how the Bluegrass state compares to the rest of America when it comes to winners of the Powerball lottery jackpot. Using Powerball.com’s Media Center, we sourced the 10 states boasting the most residents who’ve cashed a winning Powerball ticket.

Must be 18+ to participate and present in KY. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. T&C’s and restrictions apply.

Luckiest Lottery States

Rank 

State 

Amount of Powerball Winners 

Indiana 

39 

Missouri 

31 

Minnesota 

22 

T-4 

Wisconsin 

19 

T-4 

Pennsylvania 

19 

Kentucky 

18 

T-7 

Louisiana 

17 

T-7 

Florida 

17 

T-9 

Arizona 

14 

T-9 

California 

14 

How Lucky is Kentucky?

Across America, only five states have produced more Powerball winners than Kentucky’s 18, led by Indiana (39 winners), Missouri (31 winners), Minnesota (22 winners), Wisconsin and Pennsylvania (19 each).

Kentucky’s 18 Powerball winners put the Bluegrass State ahead of other lottery heavyweights such as Louisiana and Florida, which have seen 17 winners apiece from their respective populaces, while Arizona and California round out the list nationally with 14 winners each.  

Whether any KY residents can one-up Rob Anderson Jr. of Georgetown, who still holds the Bluegrass State record for the largest Powerball jackpot won at $128.6 million in 2009, remains to be seen.  

Other notable Kentucky Lottery winners include Linville Lee Huff, who in 2007 tried unsuccessfully to keep his $33.6 million jackpot a secret — but whose name was ultimately leaked by local papers.

What we do know is that Kentucky is a solid state to play the Powerball lottery in, as the Bluegrass State has produced at least as many winners as states with a lot more people, giving lottery players greater odds of reaching that illusive jackpot than in other parts of America.  

Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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