The Luckiest Lottery Numbers in Powerball and Mega Millions, Revealed
The Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries have turned ordinary Americans into millionaires overnight. And while the outcome is always up to chance, it’s hard to ignore the thrill of diving into the data to see which numbers have historically appeared most often.
With jackpots in both games frequently soaring into the hundreds of millions, the team at VegasInsider analyzed every Powerball draw since 1997 and every Mega Millions draw since 2010 to uncover the luckiest numbers of all time.
Most Frequently Drawn Powerball Numbers
Digging through decades of draws, some Powerball numbers consistently rise to the top. Sitting firmly in first place is number 20, which has appeared an impressive 391 times. Close behind are 23 (371 times), 14 (370 times), and 2 (364 times).
Here are the ten most frequently drawn numbers in Powerball history:
| Rank | Number | Overall Frequency |
| 1 | 20 | 391 |
| 2 | 23 | 371 |
| 3 | 14 | 370 |
| 4 | 2 | 364 |
| 5 | 21 | 363 |
| 6 | 19 | 361 |
| =7 | 5 | 358 |
| =7 | 9 | 358 |
| =7 | 12 | 358 |
| =7 | 16 | 358 |
These stats don’t serve as predictions—but they do show which numbers have been the most active across thousands of draws.
Most Frequently Drawn Mega Millions Numbers
In the Mega Millions game, number 11 claims the title as the most frequently drawn ball, appearing 216 times since 2010. It’s followed closely by 10 (215 times), 3 (211 times), and a tie between 4 and 14 (196 times each).
Here’s a look at the ten luckiest numbers in Mega Millions:
| Rank | Number | Overall Frequency |
| 1 | 11 | 216 |
| 2 | 10 | 215 |
| 3 | 3 | 211 |
| =4 | 4 | 196 |
| =4 | 14 | 196 |
| =6 | 9 | 194 |
| =6 | 20 | 194 |
| 8 | 15 | 193 |
| 9 | 2 | 192 |
| 10 | 6 | 190 |
The Best Possible Ticket?
If you’re curious about building a ticket based purely on frequency, here are the most frequently drawn numbers in segmented by individual balls:
🎟️ Best Powerball Ticket:
- White Ball 1: 1 (248 winning appearances)
- White Ball 2: 15 (125 winning appearances)
- White Ball 3: 26 (111 winning appearances)
- White Ball 4: 39 (119 winning appearances)
- White Ball 5: 49 (145 winning appearances)
- Powerball: 20 (114 winning appearances)
🎟️ Best Mega Millions Ticket:
- Mega Ball: 9 (80 winning appearances)
- White Ball 1: 15* (59 winning appearances)
- White Ball 2: 3 (128 winning appearances)
- White Ball 3: 31 (60 winning appearances)
- White Ball 4: 46 (61 winning appearances)
- White Ball 5: 66 (75 winning appearances)
(Note: Numbers 20 and 22 in Mega Millions also have high frequency for White Ball 1, appearing 58 times each.)
What This Means (and What It Doesn’t)
While these patterns are fun to analyze, they don’t increase your chances of winning. Every draw is a clean slate, and the odds remain the same. But if you’re a stats lover—or just curious about number trends—these insights offer an entertaining glimpse into lottery history.
Think of this as a scorecard, not a strategy.
Methodology
- Data for Powerball includes every draw from 1997 to present
- Data for Mega Millions includes every draw from 2010 to present
- Sourced from the official websites for each lottery
- Analysis correct as of July 7, 2025
- You can find the full dataset here
Punters and bettors can also explore our best online casinos and best sweepstakes casinos pages for more ways to play the odds.