Here are a few of the most interesting US lottery statistics I was able to dig up. As always, be sure to check back in the future as I will be updating this post as new and updated stats become available.
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Many are based on news reports and not official tallies or estimates. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee anything to be 100% accurate. These lottery statistics are for entertainment purposes only and please do not make any gambling decisions based on any information contained on this site.
US Lottery Statistics
Number of possible US Powerball ticket combinations:
Last updated 1/18/19
Odds of winning Powerball jackpot:
1 in slightly over 292 million
Last updated 1/18/19
Odds of winning Mega Millions jackpot:
1 in slightly over 302 million
Last updated 1/18/19
Amount you'd have to spend (at $2/ticket) to buy every possible Powerball ticket combination:
Last updated 1/10/16
Percentage of lottery winners that go broke within 7 years:
Last updated 1/12/16
Date of Powerball launch:
1988 as Lotto America and April 1992 as Powerball
Biggest world lottery prize ever offered:
$1.58 billion (Powerball 1/13/16)
Last updated 4/3/19
Odds of winning the Mega Ball Mega Millions Jackpot:
Last updated 4/3/19
Largest Mega Millions prize ever offered:
Last updated 4/3/19
Date of Mega Millions launch:
Size of the North American lottery industry:
Last updated 1/31/11
State that introduced the first modern state lottery:
Number of US states that run lotteries:
Last updated 1/31/11
Percentage of the American population that purchases a majority of lottery tickets:
Last updated 1/31/11
Year scratch tickets were introduced in the US:
Last updated: