Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States, offering large jackpot prizes that often climb into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Players in Tennessee, like those across the country, dream of winning big in this multi-state game. But has anyone from the Volunteer State ever actually won one of those enormous Powerball jackpots?
Quick Overview of Powerball in Tennessee
Powerball is offered in 45 states, including Tennessee. The Tennessee Lottery began selling Powerball tickets in April 2004 after voters approved a state lottery. Since then, the game has grown tremendously in popularity among Tennessee residents hoping to win a life-changing amount of money.
Powerball jackpots begin at $40 million and grow from there based on ticket sales and rollovers when no one wins the grand prize. Players choose five main numbers between 1-69 and one Powerball number from 1-26. To win the jackpot, you must match all six numbers. The odds are around 1 in 292 million.
There are also smaller prizes for matching some of the numbers. Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday evenings.
Notable Tennessee Powerball Winners
While no one from Tennessee has won an astronomical Powerball jackpot thus far, there have been some sizable wins over the years:
- In July 2015, a woman in Antioch won $1 million by matching the five main numbers.
- In January 2016, 12 Tennessee co-workers split a $420.9 million Powerball jackpot. Each received a prize of $25 million before taxes.
- In May 2017, a Memphis man won $2 million after matching all five white balls in the drawing.
- In July 2017, a woman in Humboldt won $1 million by matching five numbers.
- In August 2017, a man in Greeneville won $1 million also by matching five numbers.
So while the giant nine-figure jackpots have eluded Tennesseans so far, some have still managed to take home $1 million or more, which is certainly life-changing money!
The Biggest Tennessee Lottery Wins
Although no one has won the Powerball jackpot, some other massive Tennessee lottery prizes have been claimed over the years:
- In 2005, a couple in Jackson split a $113.2 million Powerball jackpot with another ticket. Their share was around $28.3 million.
- In 2005, an elderly man in Brownsville won a $31 million Mega Millions jackpot.
- In January 2012, a woman in South Pittsburg won a $188 million Powerball prize. She took the lump sum cash option of $124 million.
- In 2013, a man in South Knoxville won a $259 million Mega Millions jackpot. He also took the lump sum of $115 million after taxes.
- In January 2014, a couple in Munford won a $61 million Powerball jackpot. Their cash option was $33 million after taxes.
So Tennessee has produced some very large lottery winners over the years, just not from Powerball specifically quite yet.
The Biggest Powerball Jackpots in History
Here are the top 10 largest Powerball jackpots to date:
| Amount | Date | Winner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| $1.586 billion | January 13, 2016 | 3 winners in California, Florida, Tennessee |
| $768.4 million | March 27, 2019 | 1 winner in Wisconsin |
| $758.7 million | August 23, 2017 | 1 winner in Massachusetts |
| $731.1 million | January 20, 2021 | 1 winner in Maryland |
| $699.8 million | October 4, 2021 | 1 winner in California |
| $687.8 million | October 27, 2018 | 2 winners in Iowa, New York |
| $656 million | March 30, 2012 | 3 winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland |
| $648 million | December 17, 2013 | 2 winners in California, Georgia |
| $590.5 million | May 18, 2013 | 1 winner in Florida |
| $587.5 million | November 28, 2012 | 2 winners in Arizona, Missouri |
As you can see, there have been some truly massive jackpots awarded, including the current record of over $1.5 billion split between three tickets in 2016. One of those winning tickets was purchased in Tennessee, so a resident did technically win a share of the biggest Powerball jackpot to date.
Other Notable Powerball Records
Here are some other Powerball facts and records of interest:
- 44 states participate in Powerball drawings along with Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- California joined Powerball in April 2013. It’s the most populous state in the nation.
- There have been 24 Powerball jackpot winners so far in 2022 (through November 1).
- The record Powerball jackpot run was 37 consecutive rollovers over 3.5 months. It grew to the $1.586 billion prize in 2016.
- Only 4 previous jackpots have crossed the $500 million mark besides the Top 10 list above.
- The record Powerball jackpot cash value was over $983 million for the January 2016 drawing.
- The record Powerball ticket sales for a single drawing was around $161 million for the January 2016 jackpot.
This helps provide some perspective on how massive the biggest Powerball jackpots like the 2016 world record have really been.
Conclusion
In summary, while no Tennessee player has won an astronomical Powerball jackpot yet, there have been some sizable wins over the years. A few Tennesseans have managed to take home prizes in the millions of dollars. And a resident did technically win a share of the record $1.586 billion jackpot in January 2016, splitting the prize with two other tickets.
Powerball continues to be extremely popular in Tennessee, with many residents eagerly purchasing tickets for the chance to win a life-altering amount of money. The Tennessee Lottery also provides funds for education programs in the state. So until a Tennessee player hits that enormous Powerball jackpot, the prize money will keep accumulating for some lucky winner in the future.
