Here are the Powerball lottery numbers most often on winning tickets
For only the third time ever, both Powerball and Mega Millions have advertised jackpots above $500 million at the same time.
“It really is rare to see both games offering jackpots of this size at the same time,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We all have our fingers crossed that we will see a North Carolina winner this weekend.”
The $875 million Powerball jackpot is now worth $441.9 million in cash and is the third largest in the game’s history. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million, according to the Education Lottery. Players snare a Powerball jackpot by matching the five white balls, in any order, plus the one red Powerball number in a drawing. The game is available in multiple states.
The $560 million Mega Millions jackpot is worth $281.1 million in cash and is the seventh largest in the game’s history. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million.
With drawings coming up Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night, The Charlotte Observer updated its analysis of which Powerball numbers have showed up the most in winning combinations.
No combination of winning Powerball numbers has been drawn more than once since the game debuted in 2006, according to NC lottery officials. So, then, which numbers have the best reputation with the game?
Is there a lucky Powerball number?
No. 32 appeared most often — 185 times — among the first five balls drawn in winning combinations, followed by the No. 39 in 172 combinations, according to data reviewed by the Observer.
The Nos. 36 and 23 are tied for third, appearing in 170 combinations, followed by the number 20, which was drawn on 169 occasions.
The No. 18 is the most commonly drawn winning Power Ball number, appearing in that position 80 times over the decades, the analysis shows.
The odds of drawing just a single number remain small. No. 32, which has appeared the most, still appears less than 2% of the time, data show.
Odds of winning Powerball
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Charlotte-area players have won Powerball prizes over the years large enough for state lottery officials to issue news releases about their big wins.
Recently, a craving for a cigar led to a $1 million Powerball prize for 62-year-old Charlotte resident John Gerenza at the Harris Teeter grocery store on South Tryon Street, lottery officials said July 22.
Gerenza decided to plunk down $2 for a Quick Pick ticket whose numbers matched those on the five white balls in the July 16 drawing, 3, 18, 23, 32, 5.
In December, James Miller of the Lincoln County community of Iron Station scored a $100,000 Powerball prize. He just left a convenience store when something told him to go back inside and buy a couple of $3 Powerball tickets, he told lottery officials.
“Six dollars changed my life,” he said, according to a lottery news release. “I’ve got two babies at home, and they sure are going to have an amazing Christmas now.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Here are the Powerball lottery numbers most often on winning tickets."
