America's Luckiest States For Gambling

In our lives, we all have times when we win and times when we lose. Some folks believe that these good and bad moments just happen by chance. But have you ever wondered if where you live can actually affect your luck, especially when it comes to gambling?

If so, you’re not alone. We’ve compared states across the country on luckiness factors like how many lottery winners come from a state, and how much money people in each location win betting online. By doing so we were able to assign each a score out of 100 to reveal which states are the luckiest for gamblers. 

Read on to find out the places where, according to the data, Lady Luck is on your side.

The Luckiest States In America Map

Top Rankings By Category

• Number of Powerball winners: Indiana, 39.
• Number of Mega Millions winners: New York, 44.
• Best hold percentage:  Nevada, 5.7%.
• Lowest accident mortality rate: Hawaii, 39.6.
• Highest GDP: District of Columbia, $259,938.
• Number of casinos: Nevada, 345.
• Best state to live in for quality of life: Wyoming.

Every State Ranked By Luck

Regional Patterns and Anomalies in Gambling Luck

The West and Midwest are the luckiest for gamblers. Could there be regional patterns influencing luck? 

States with higher GDP, such as New York, and Massachusetts, also demonstrated higher overall luck scores. This connection might suggest that economic prosperity can be associated with a perception of luck.

States with a larger number of casinos, like Nevada and Montana, tended to rank higher in overall luck. The casinos would offer improved promotions and odds for players so that they stay competitive. That equals a higher chance of winning and more luck.

The diverse factors considered (lottery winnings, safety, economy, etc.) indicate that luck is influenced by a combination of chance, economic conditions, safety measures, and overall quality of life.
 

Methodology

To determine America's luckiest states for gamblers, we developed an index that weighted each criterion based on its significance and impact.

One indicator of luckiness is the frequency of lottery winners. So we used the number of Powerball winners in a state as one factor. We also used the number of MegaMillions winners as a separate metric.

Next up was the hold percentage for online betting we calculated by using reported statistics from online betting companies. This percentage, also referred to as the win, reflects the proportion of money that these companies retain in comparison to the total amount wagered. A low hold percentage, indicating betting companies make less money, is considered good for bettors.

The accident mortality rate, or how often accidents lead to unfortunate outcomes per 100,000 total population, was another factor we used to rank. For example, the luckiest state in this category, Hawaii, had a death rate of just 39.6 per 100,000 people, while the highest, West Virginia, had a death rate of 134.7.

High GDP per capita reflects the economic health of a state and better financial resources. This could mean higher disposable income, so more opportunities to engage in fun gaming activities. 

Number of casinos in a state: the quantity of casinos can signify a diverse range of gambling options, fostering healthy competition and better deals for gambling. 

Quality of life including things like good healthcare, education, and opportunity is the final piece of the puzzle. This ranking tends to fluctuate each year, but we have the latest data, and Wyoming took first place.

• World Population Review https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/powerball-winners-by-state 
• CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/accident_mortality/accident.htm 
• Bureau of Economic Analysis https://www.bea.gov/ 
• Casinos by State https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/casinos-by-state 
• Quality of Life https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/best-states-to-live-in 
• Megamillions winners https://www.megamillions.com/jackpot-history 

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