The Powerball lottery is a popular multi-state lottery game in the United States that has created numerous millionaires and multi-millionaires over the years. With jackpots frequently exceeding $100 million, Powerball offers players a chance to win life-changing sums of money. But has anyone from the state of Wyoming gotten lucky and won it big on Powerball before?
Quick Answer
Yes, there have been Powerball jackpot winners from Wyoming over the years. However, Wyoming has had significantly fewer Powerball jackpot winners compared to more populous states.
Major Powerball Wins in Wyoming
Here are some notable Powerball jackpot wins by Wyoming residents:
- In November 2014, a Wyoming resident won a $70.9 million Powerball jackpot. The ticket was purchased at a convenience store in Green River.
- In August 2006, a couple from Cheyenne won a $25 million Powerball jackpot. At the time, it was the largest lottery prize ever won in Wyoming.
- In March 2002, 10 coworkers from Cheyenne split a $251 million Powerball jackpot. Each winner received $16.5 million after taxes.
While major jackpot wins don’t happen too frequently, Wyoming players have won various smaller Powerball prizes over the years ranging from $1 million to $2 million.
Powerball Details and Wyoming Participation
Powerball is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and offered in 45 states, including Wyoming, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To play, players select five main numbers between 1-69 and one Powerball number between 1-26. Prizes are awarded for matching numbers, with jackpots starting at $40 million and rolling over if there is no grand prize winner.
Powerball sales began in Wyoming in March 1994 after the state legislature authorized participation the year prior. The Wyoming Lottery Corporation oversees Powerball and other lottery games in the state. Wyoming has participated continuously since 1994 with the exception of 2010-2012 when Powerball briefly suspended sales.
With a population around 578,000, Wyoming is the least populous U.S. state. This means far fewer Powerball tickets are purchased in Wyoming compared to more populated states. Therefore, the odds of Wyoming residents winning Powerball jackpots are lower compared to other states where significantly more tickets are in play.
Lack of Major Wins Recently
While Wyoming has produced some noteworthy Powerball jackpot winners over the years, it has been quite some time since the state has had a major prize winner.
The last time a Wyoming resident claimed a Powerball jackpot was November 2014 when a $70.9 million ticket was sold in Green River. Since then, there have been well over 100 Powerball jackpot winning tickets sold across various states, but none in Wyoming.
Some factors that may explain Wyoming’s lack of jackpot winners in recent years:
- Wyoming has a small population, resulting in fewer Powerball ticket sales.
- No major population centers like other states have. Less population concentration means fewer ticket purchases.
- Fewer frequent players compared to other states.
- Some luck has also been involved. Odds are against any one ticket winning the jackpot.
While Wyoming has not produced any huge Powerball victors lately, residents can still hope to get lucky in the future. The state participates fully in Powerball so any ticket purchased there has the same jackpot odds as tickets sold elsewhere.
The Largest Powerball Jackpots Won in Wyoming
| Winner | Jackpot Amount | Date Won | Ticket Purchase Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Coworkers | $251 million | March 30, 2002 | Cheyenne |
| Married couple | $25 million | August 5, 2006 | Cheyenne |
| Anonymous winner | $70.9 million | November 19, 2014 | Green River |
As the table illustrates, the two largest Powerball jackpot wins in Wyoming history were both over $25 million. The single largest prize went to a group of 10 Cheyenne coworkers who shared a $251 million jackpot in 2002. To date, this remains the biggest lottery prize ever awarded to Wyoming players.
Where Jackpot Winning Tickets Were Purchased
Although Wyoming has had only a handful of Powerball jackpot victories, some patterns emerge in terms of where winning tickets were purchased in the state:
- The city of Cheyenne has sold the most jackpot winners – three out of the five Powerball jackpot wins in Wyoming.
- Two jackpots were won on tickets sold in Cheyenne in 2002 and 2006.
- Green River sold a jackpot winner in 2014.
- No major jackpot winners have come from Casper, Wyoming’s second most populated city.
- Smaller Wyoming cities and towns have not yet sold jackpot winning tickets.
Cheyenne, the state capital and most populous city, has produced the most Powerball winners, likely because more tickets are purchased there than anywhere else in Wyoming. With around 64,000 residents, Cheyenne makes up a large percentage of the state’s total population.
Notable Powerball Winners from Wyoming
Here is some additional information about a few of the biggest Powerball winners from the state of Wyoming over the years:
The Coworkers Syndicate
In March 2002, a group of 10 coworkers from Cheyenne made history when they split a $251 million Powerball jackpot, the largest ever in Wyoming. The group pooled their money for years to purchase Powerball tickets together. The ten winners were mostly admins and office workers at a local quarry company. Each received a $16.5 million lump sum payment after taxes.
David and Carolyn Scott
David and Carolyn Scott of Cheyenne won a $25 million Powerball jackpot in August 2006. At the time, it was the second largest lottery jackpot in Wyoming state history. David purchased the quick pick ticket at a local supermarket. According to media reports, the couple planned to retire early after their big win.
Green River Winner
In November 2014, an anonymous resident of Green River won a $70.9 million Powerball prize. The winner bought the lucky ticket at the Cowboy’s Meat Market. The owner received a $50,000 bonus from the Wyoming Lottery for selling the jackpot ticket. Green River is a small city of around 12,000 residents in western Wyoming.
Interesting Facts About Powerball in Wyoming
- Since debuting in 1994, Powerball has created 5 jackpot winners in Wyoming.
- The largest Powerball jackpot won in Wyoming was $251 million split 10 ways in 2002.
- The smallest Wyoming jackpot was $25 million won by a Cheyenne couple in 2006.
- Cowboy’s Meat Market in Green River received a $50K bonus for selling a jackpot winner in 2014.
- Powerball has been suspended in Wyoming twice – 1995-96 and 2010-2012.
- No Powerball jackpot winner has ever come from Casper, Wyoming’s 2nd largest city.
- Wyoming has not produced a jackpot winner since November 2014.
Who Has the Best Odds of Winning in Wyoming?
Every Powerball ticket purchased in Wyoming, whether in Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie or elsewhere, has an equal chance of winning the jackpot. That is because Powerball is a pooled national game where jackpot odds remain the same across all participating states.
However, certain cities and locations where more tickets are sold will naturally see more winners over time. The odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9. For the jackpot, odds are around 1 in 292 million.
Retailers who sell more tickets, such as those in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s most populous city, are more likely to sell winners simply because they sell more. But each ticket has the same odds wherever it is purchased in the state.
Unclaimed Powerball Prizes in Wyoming
Like all lotteries, Powerball has rules about claiming prizes within a certain timeframe. For Powerball, jackpot winners have 180 days from the draw date to come forward and claim their prize.
In Wyoming Lottery history, two Powerball jackpot prizes have gone unclaimed:
- A $1 million jackpot won on June 7, 1997 was never claimed. The ticket was sold in Laramie.
- A $1 million jackpot won on Christmas Day 2010 went unclaimed. Sold in Cheyenne.
For top prizes left on the table, funds are returned to the respective state to be utilized in future games or public education initiatives. So while Wyoming missed out on two potential jackpot winners, the money stayed in state to fund schools and other lottery-supported programs.
Why Wyoming Has Fewer Winners
We’ve noted Wyoming’s relative lack of Powerball jackpot winners compared to other, more populated states. But why exactly does the state have fewer winners?
Here are some key factors:
- Low population – Wyoming has the smallest population of any state at around 578,000 people.
- Less density – Wyoming is very rural. People are more spread out than other states.
- Fewer tickets sold – With a sparse population, fewer overall Powerball tickets are purchased.
- Less participation – Wyoming has a lower percentage of adults playing the lottery regularly.
- Long odds – Regardless of location, the odds of any single ticket hitting the jackpot are very low.
With a limited pool of players, Wyoming is at a statistical disadvantage for producing jackpot winners compared to states like California, Texas and Florida where tens of millions of tickets are in play for big drawings.
Has Powerball Changed the Lives of Wyoming Winners?
For the handful of Wyoming residents lucky enough to win a Powerball jackpot, their lives were most certainly changed in a very positive way.
While some winners opted to remain anonymous, those whose identities were made public expressed great joy and disbelief at their sudden windfall. The state’s biggest winners – the 10 coworkers from Cheyenne – all reportedly quit their jobs very soon after winning over $16 million each.
Media interviews with David and Carolyn Scott after winning $25 million revealed the couple planned to pay bills, help family, donate to charity and retire early. No doubt all Powerball winners from Wyoming experienced life-changing positivity from their big prize.
Future Outlook and Conclusion
In conclusion, Wyoming residents have won Powerball jackpots over the years, but victories have been less frequent compared to more populated states. The largest prizes have clustered in Cheyenne, while locations like Green River and Laramie have also sold jackpot tickets. For a Wyoming player, the best chance at winning remains taking the opportunity to play when the jackpot is high.
With Powerball’s continued popularity across the United States, it is likely just a matter of time before the state sees another jackpot winner. Who knows – the next Powerball millionaire could be walking the streets of Cheyenne or Casper right now. For a lucky few Wyoming players in the future, life could change in an instant with a quick pick ticket and some fortunate numbers.
