The Powerball lottery is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States, with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The multi-state lottery game is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and roll over if there is no jackpot winner. The jackpots grow until a ticket matches all 6 numbers. Some of the biggest Powerball jackpot prizes in history have exceeded half a billion dollars. With jackpots that large, it’s no surprise Powerball creates many millionaires overnight. But has anyone from the state of Texas ever won the Powerball jackpot?
Powerball Overview
Powerball players select 5 white ball numbers from 1 to 69, and 1 red Powerball number from 1 to 26. To win the jackpot, a ticket must match all 6 numbers. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets cost $2 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by adding the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket. The 10X Power Play multiplier is available when the jackpot is under $150 million.
Top 10 Biggest Powerball Jackpots
Here are the top 10 biggest Powerball jackpots to date:
| Amount | Date | Winning Location |
|---|---|---|
| $1.586 billion | 1/13/2016 | California, Florida, Tennessee |
| $768.4 million | 3/27/2019 | Wisconsin |
| $758.7 million | 8/23/2017 | Massachusetts |
| $731.1 million | 1/20/2021 | Maryland |
| $699.8 million | 10/4/2021 | California |
| $687.8 million | 10/27/2018 | Iowa, New York |
| $656 million | 3/30/2012 | Kansas, Illinois, Maryland |
| $648 million | 12/17/2013 | California, Georgia |
| $590.5 million | 5/18/2013 | Florida |
| $587.5 million | 11/28/2012 | Arizona, Missouri |
Has Texas Ever Had a Powerball Jackpot Winner?
Texas is the nation’s second most populous state, home to around 29 million people. With so many Texans playing Powerball every year, one might assume the Lone Star State would have produced several jackpot winners by now. However, that is not the case. Shockingly, not a single ticket purchased in Texas has ever hit the Powerball jackpot since the lottery began in 1992.
Why hasn’t Texas had a jackpot winner? Powerball tickets cannot be purchased in Texas.
The Texas Lottery does offer its own in-state jackpot game called Lotto Texas, with drawings held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lotto Texas has had jackpots as large as $133 million. But Texans who want to play for Powerball’s giant jackpots have to cross state lines to purchase tickets in Arkansas, Louisiana or New Mexico.
The Biggest Texas Lottery Prizes
While the Texas Lottery hasn’t minted any Powerball millionaires, it has produced several big winners over the years:
– $225 Million – The biggest Lotto Texas jackpot was hit on June 19, 2004 by a Houston couple. It was the largest jackpot ever won on a single ticket in North America at the time.
– $211 Million – A Mega Millions ticket sold in San Antonio on March 6, 2014 netted a $211 million annuity prize. It remains the largest lottery prize ever awarded to a single Texas Lottery player.
– $157 Million – The third largest Texas Lottery prize was a Lotto Texas jackpot won by a Katy resident on May 29, 2010.
– $145 Million – On June 14, 2003 a Powerball ticket sold in Abilene won $145 million. Even though Powerball isn’t available in Texas, the ticket was purchased by a Texan while traveling out of state.
So while Texas has never had an official resident win Powerball, a handful of Texans have claimed giant jackpots by purchasing tickets across state lines.
Notable Powerball Winners from Border States
The following border states have produced Powerball jackpot winners over the years:
Arkansas – 1 Jackpot Winner
– November 2012 – $128 Million
Louisiana – 6 Jackpot Winners
– March 2019 – $768 Million (Largest ever won in Louisiana)
– August 2017 – $99 Million
– November 2016 – $135 Million
– May 2013 – $50 Million
– December 2012 – $135 Million
– October 2009 – $32 Million
New Mexico – 1 Jackpot Winner
– January 2012 – $16 Million
Oklahoma – 2 Jackpot Winners
– February 2006 – $365 Million
– June 2002 – $295 Million
The most notable of these is the $768.4 million Powerball jackpot hit in Louisiana on March 27, 2019. It was the third largest Powerball jackpot on record. The ticket was sold at a gas station in the small town of Chicot, Louisiana. The winner took the cash option lump sum payment of $477 million.
Why Can’t Texas Participate in Powerball?
Texas is one of just a handful of U.S. states that does not participate in Powerball. Powerball is coordinated across participating lotteries by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). When Powerball began in 1992, MUSL required member lotteries to earmark a percentage of sales to contribute to the jackpot.
At Powerball’s inception, Texas law prohibited spending more than 50% of lottery revenue on prizes. The MUSL requirement conflicted with Texas law. As a result, the Texas Lottery never joined MUSL and did not offer Powerball.
Over the years, attempts have been made to bring Powerball to Texas. But state lottery officials cite conflicting state bingo laws as an obstacle. Expanding lottery offerings could potentially impact bingo games, which are used to fund charities in Texas. Efforts to repeal the conflicting bingo laws have stalled.
For now, the only way for Texans to play Powerball is to cross state lines and purchase tickets where Powerball is sold. But so far, no one has gone on to hit a jackpot after making the ticket run across state lines.
Which State Has Won the Most Powerball Jackpots?
The state that has sold the most Powerball jackpot winning tickets is Indiana, with 39. Here are the states with the most jackpot winners to date:
| State | Jackpot Winners |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 39 |
| Missouri | 31 |
| Minnesota | 22 |
| Wisconsin | 21 |
| West Virginia | 17 |
| Kentucky | 15 |
| New Jersey | 13 |
| Arizona | 11 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 |
| Kansas | 11 |
The Hoosier State’s 39 jackpot wins can partly be attributed to its central location bordering several participating Powerball states. Nearby residents often drive into Indiana specifically to purchase lottery tickets.
Illinois is close behind with 36 jackpot victories. Other states with double digit jackpot winners include New York (31), California (30), Florida (26), Georgia (20), and Tennessee (11).
Texas sticks out on the Powerball map as a large state completely surrounded by participating lotteries, yet unable to play due to state gaming laws.
Recent Powerball Winners from Texas’s Border States
While Texas lottery players anxiously await a chance to play for Powerball’s giant jackpots, ticket buyers from border states continue to win big. Here are some of the most recent major Powerball winners from the states surrounding Texas:
– On July 9, 2022 a resident of Idabel, Oklahoma hit a $206.9 million jackpot. The ticket was purchased at a convenience store in Idabel, a small town about 25 miles north of the Texas border.
– On September 2, 2022, a ticket sold in Roxie, Mississippi matched 5 numbers for a $2 million prize. Roxie’s population is just over 1,000 and the town borders Texas and Louisiana.
– On August 3, 2022, a $185.3 million jackpot winning ticket was sold at a QuikTrip convenience store in Baxter Springs, Kansas. Baxter Springs sits near the Oklahoma border, about an hour’s drive from Texas.
– On May 7, 2022, a $473.1 million jackpot was hit by two Powerball tickets – one sold in Arizona and one in Wisconsin. The Arizona ticket was sold in Gilbert, southeast of Phoenix and about an 8 hour drive from the Texas border.
– On April 27, 2022, a $191.1 million prize was claimed by a winner in Arkansas. The lucky ticket was sold at a convenience store in Cabot, AR, about 3 hours northeast of Dallas.
The repeated wins around the Texas border serve as painful reminders that Texas Lottery players can’t participate without traveling out of state.
Do Texans Buy Powerball Tickets in Border States?
With Texans ineligible to purchase Powerball tickets within state lines, many make the trip to border communities in adjoining Powerball states to get in on the action.
Popular ticket buying destinations for Texans include:
– Texarkana, AR – About 180,000 Texans live within 30 minutes of state line. Stores see boost in ticket sales before big jackpots.
– Shreveport, LA – Casinos and gas stations cater to Dallas/Fort Worth ticket buyers.
– Portales, NM – This Eastern New Mexico town sees lots of Lubbock, TX residents cross the border when jackpots rise.
– Thackerville, OK – Large casinos near Texas border report crowds of Lone Star State lottery players.
– Durant, OK – Texans flock to buy tickets in this Southeastern Oklahoma border town.
Cross border Powerball shopping spikes when jackpots start approaching the $400 million mark. For really huge jackpots like $1 billion, border town stores and casinos often sell out of tickets.
But so far, no Texas resident has gone on to win a jackpot after making the out of state ticket trip. The dream remains elusive.
Do People Win Big on Tickets Bought in Border Towns?
While no Texan has brought home a Powerball jackpot after crossing state lines to buy tickets, some non-jackpot second tier prizes have been won. Here are some notable wins:
– In March 2019, a resident of Mount Pleasant, TX won $1 million after buying a Powerball ticket at Choctaw Casino in Durant, OK.
– In January 2016, a man from Richardson, TX matched 5 numbers after purchasing a Quick Pick Powerball ticket in Thackerville, OK. His prize was $2 million.
– In May 2013, a Dallas woman won $1 million from a Powerball ticket purchased at Andy’s convenience store in Texarkana, AR.
– In December 2012, an El Paso woman traveling in Las Cruces, NM won $1 million playing Powerball in New Mexico.
So Texans crossing state lines have come close several times. But the Lone Star State is still waiting for its first resident to make the ticket run and come back a multimillionaire Powerball jackpot winner.
Do Retailers Benefit When Texans Cross State Lines?
For lottery retailers located near the Texas border, periodic frenzies of cross-state Powerball shopping can be a boon. Gas stations, convenience stores, supermarkets, and casinos often see big spikes in foot traffic when Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots surge past $300 million.
Retailers in places like Texarkana, AR, Durant, OK and Portales, NM cater to Texas residents seeking lottery tickets. Popular lottery ticket shopping destinations advertise directly to Texans with billboard campaigns along highways leading from Texas into their states.
When Lone Star State lottery chasers cross state lines by the thousands seeking a chance at massive jackpots, border town lottery retailers ring up big ticket sales. Stores often sell out of playslips as Texas buyers hope to become the first multimillionaire jackpot winner after making the ticket run.
Why Do Most Winners Come from Small Towns?
Looking at the locations where winning Powerball tickets have been sold, you’ll notice a common trend – jackpot tickets are often sold in small suburban or rural towns. Why don’t big city convenience stores sell more winning tickets?
Lottery officials say there are a few reasons why small town retailers tend to sell more jackpot winners:
– Less Population Density – In a big city, dozens of lottery outlets compete within a small area. In a rural town, the odds are greater for just 1-2 stores to sell a big winner.
– Out-of-Town Visitors – Small towns situated near busy highways attract outside travelers passing through. This boosts overall ticket volume.
– Regular Customers – Rural store regulars playing the same numbers every draw increases probability of a store selling a jackpot winner.
– Line Jumpers – When jackpots rise, more urban residents drive to smaller towns with shorter ticket lines.
So while your odds of winning are the same regardless of location, a confluence of factors causes lucky lottery retailers to be sprinkled in smaller communities. Of course random chance also plays a role in which store sells the winning ticket.
Can Powerball Improve Texas Education Funding?
One argument lotto proponents in Texas make is that joining Powerball could generate huge additional funding for public education. By state law, the Texas Lottery contributes a portion of proceeds to the state’s Foundational School Fund. Since 1997, the lottery has generated over $29 billion for education.
Powerball sales would surely boost annual transfers to the school fund by hundreds of millions. One analysis estimated Texas schools could gain an extra $1 billion per year if Powerball was offered in the state.
But some critics argue Powerball might simply divert existing lottery spending from other games like Lotto Texas. Education funding gains may be offset by less spending on Texas lottos. Some economic studies cast doubt on whether lottery revenues actually increase total education budgets over the long term.
Regardless, the door remains closed for now to Texas joining Powerball and reaping any potential education funding benefits.
Conclusion
In summary, despite a large population of avid lottery players, Texas has yet to produce a resident Powerball jackpot winner in the game’s 30+ year history. This is because Powerball lottery tickets cannot be purchased anywhere within Texas state lines. Conflicting state gaming laws prevent the Texas Lottery from participating.
Lacking an in-state option, determined Lone Star State residents often make ticket buying trips to border regions in adjoining Powerball states when jackpots get huge. But so far, no one has gone on to win a jackpot after crossing state lines to purchase tickets.
Texas continues to watch wistfully as neighboring states churn out lucky Powerball winners. Until changes are made, Texas will remain the most populous Powerball abstention, its residents making fruitless gambling runs trying to beat the long odds and write the state into the Powerball history books.
