The last Mega Millions jackpot was won on June 5, 2024 in Illinois, the state’s 15th Mega Millions jackpot win!
With past Mega Millions jackpots ranging from $20 million up to $1.58 BILLION, you may be wondering which states win Mega Millions the most. Is geography in your favor? Here are America’s “luckiest” states for hitting the Mega Millions jackpot.
Image Credit: Ralf Geithe/istockphoto.
How Many States Are in Mega Millions?
How many states partipate in the Mega Millions lottery? Mega Millions is available in 47 jurisdictions—45 states plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning the grand prize are 1:302,575,350.
Of all the Mega Millions states, 28 have won Mega Millions jackpots—some more than others! Where does your state rank?
As always, take this list with a grain of salt. South Carolina, for example, has only won one Mega Millions jackpot—but it was a pretty historic one. (#MegaBillions forever).
Plus, there are five states that don’t have state lotteries: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Mississippi’s state lottery is still relatively new—it began selling Mega Millions tickets in January 2020. As a result, it doesn’t top the list of the most Mega Millions winners by state.
Image Credit: Roberto Galan/Istockphoto.
Mega Millions Jackpot Winners By State
Our list shows you which state has the most Mega Millions winners in order of most to least winners for the state. Is your state in the top 10 winning states? Will you be your state’s first grand prize winner?
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New York
Jackpots Won: 43
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: Ondrej Bucek/istockphoto.
California
Jackpots Won: 34
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: jsnover/istockphoto.
New Jersey
Jackpots Won: 24
Year of Last Win: 2024
Image Credit: Ultima_Gaina / istockphoto.
Ohio
Jackpots Won: 20
Year of Last Win: 2019
Image Credit: espiegle/iStock.
Michigan
Jackpots Won: 18
Year of Last Win: 2021
Image Credit: JerryB7/istockphoto.
Georgia
Jackpots Won: 16
Year of Last Win: 2016
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Istockphoto.
Illinois
Jackpots Won: 15
Year of Last Win: 2024
Image Credit: Steve King/istockphoto.
Texas
Jackpots Won: 14
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: felixmizioznikov/Istockphoto.
Maryland
Jackpots Won: 11
Year of Last Win: 2014
Image Credit: Tim Pruss/istockphoto.
Virginia
Jackpots Won: 9
Year of Last Win: 2016
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/istockphoto.
Washington
Jackpots Won: 5
Year of Last Win: 2016
Image Credit: aiisha5/istockphoto.
Massachusetts
Jackpots Won: 5
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/istockphoto.
Florida
Jackpots Won: 5
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: felixmizioznikov/istockphoto.
Pennsylvania
Jackpots Won: 3
Year of Last Win: 2021
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/istockphoto.
Arizona
Jackpots Won: 2
Year of Last Win: 2021
Image Credit: Gregory Clifford/istockphoto.
Indiana
Jackpots Won: 2
Year of Last Win: 2016
Image Credit: Nicholas Klein/istockphoto.
Missouri
Jackpots Won: 2
Year of Last Win: 2019
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/istockphoto.
North Carolina
Jackpots Won: 2
Year of Last Win: 2011
Image Credit: istockphoto/Kruck20.
Tennessee
Jackpots Won: 2
Year of Last Win: 2022
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Istockphoto.
Arkansas
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2017
Image Credit: Rdlamkin/istockphoto.
Idaho
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2011
Image Credit: Kirk Fisher/Istockphoto.
Kansas
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2012
Image Credit: marekuliasz/Istockphoto.
Maine
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2023
Image Credit: istockphoto.
Minnesota
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2022
Image Credit: samafoto/Istockphoto.
New Hampshire
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2019
Image Credit: Ultima_Gaina/istockphoto.
Rhode Island
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2018
Image Credit: Sanghwan Kim/istockphoto.
South Carolina
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2018
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/istockphoto.
Wisconsin
Jackpots Won: 1
Year of Last Win: 2020
Image Credit: Jon Mattrisch/istockphoto.
Colorado
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Wirestock/istockphoto.
Connecticut
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto.
Delaware
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Bo Shen/istockphoto.
District of Columbia
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: LUNAMARINA/istockphoto.
Iowa
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: f11photo/istockphoto.
Kentucky
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Getty.
Louisiana
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: felixmizioznikov/istockphoto.
Mississippi
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto.
Montana
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Ultima_Gaina/Istockphoto.
Nebraska
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: f1monaco31/istockphoto.
New Mexico
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: gchapel/Istockphoto.
North Dakota
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Wirestock/istockphoto.
Oklahoma
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Travis Lloyd/Istockphoto.
Oregon
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: istockphoto/Sean Pavone.
South Dakota
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Wirestock/istockphoto.
Vermont
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Nicholas Klein/istockphoto.
Virgin Islands
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Nick Heinemann/istockphoto.
West Virginia
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Wirestock/istockphoto.
Wyoming
Jackpots Won: 0
Year of Last Win: N/A
Image Credit: Ingo Dörenberg/Istockphoto.
“Unluckiest” Mega Millions States
We’ve seen how many states participate in the Mega Millions and Mega Millions winners by state ranked by the number of wins. Have the states with no winners truly been unlucky? Probably not. For example, Mississippi only started selling Mega Millions tickets in 2020, whereas other states with the most wins have been participating much longer. New York, the state with the most wins, has been participating in the Mega Millions lottery since 2002. The good news is that no matter which state or town you live in, your ticket has an equal chance of winning. The Mega Millions odds don’t change, no matter where you play.
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State Lottery Tax Withholdings
Over 30 Mega Millions jackpots have been won in California. Those winners may be counting themselves as extra lucky because California doesn’t withhold state taxes on your lottery winnings like many other states. Basically, the winner didn’t have to pay state taxes on top of federal ones.
Curious how your state ranks for state taxes on lottery winnings? These are the best and worst states to win Mega Millions in terms of state tax owed. All stats were sourced from the official state lottery website in each state.
Image Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/istockphoto.
Best States for Lottery Taxes
- California, Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming – 0%
- North Dakota – 2.9%
- Pennsylvania – 3.07%
- Indiana – 3.23%
- Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia – 4%
Image Credit: Wpadington/Istockphoto.
Worst States for Lottery Taxes
- New York – 10.9%
- Maryland – 8.75%
- Washington, D.C. – 8.50%
- New Jersey, Oregon – 8.0%
- Wisconsin, Minnesota – 7.25%
Image Credit: markara/Istockphoto.
Things to Do Immediately If You Win the Mega Millions Jackpot
What’s number one? Celebrate! Then, take a deep breath and get in touch with a CPA, financial planner, or tax lawyer to help. You may want a combination of these. Why? They will help ensure you have a thoughtful strategy for your winnings in place tailored to you and your goals. They can guide you on whether a lump sum or an annuity is the best option for you and your tax situation. They can also help you prepare for tax time, help with estate planning (so you can decide how your winnings are left to family and friends), and more.
This article originally appeared on Jackpocket.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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