Player question: About that Lotto America® jackpot

A player wrote to us this month and asked why it seemed like there were fewer jackpots in Lotto America than in comparable lotto games like Powerball® and Mega Millions®. He noted that the Lotto America jackpot hadn’t been hit in quite a while and wondered why.

It’s true: There have been seven Lotto America jackpot winners since the game began in November 2017, and the jackpot hasn’t been hit in more than 10 months. The last time it was won came on July 14, 2021, when a ticket purchased in Oklahoma won an $8.04 million jackpot.

But why has it been so long? It comes down to numbers. While Lotto America is a multi-state game that features a play style very similar to Powerball and Mega Millions, it’s played in far fewer states than its big brothers. There are 13 participating states in Lotto America: Iowa, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Dakota and West Virginia. This is a far cry from Powerball, with 48 participating lotteries, and Mega Millions, with 47.

Fewer participating states means fewer tickets are sold in any given drawing. And the less tickets that are sold, the less likely it is that the jackpot will be hit. This is true even though the odds of hitting the jackpot in Lotto America (1 in 26 million) are better than the odds of doing the same in Powerball (1 in 292.2 million) or Mega Millions (1 in 302.6 million).

We hear from many players who love Lotto America because it offers a chance at a multi-million dollar jackpot for only $1 per play. And with Wednesday’s jackpot at an estimated $13.79 million, there’s no doubt that players are eager to see where the next jackpot will be won.

Comments

[Mary Neubauer]

Hi, Jeff. You are right that there are so many worthy causes to support. Under Iowa law, lottery proceeds go directly to state causes, including veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.

[Jeff kubik]

I have a brilliant idea lets send all the profits to Ukraine