Up to one-in-four Aussie adults are expected to vie for Thursday’s $80 million Powerball jackpot – Australia’s biggest lottery prize of 2022 so far.
Should one person take home the mammoth prize, they’ll not only be Powerball’s second division one winner of the year but also share the title of Australia’s third-biggest lottery winner ever.
Crunching the data on the game’s big winners during the past five years, The Lott has compiled the profile of a major Powerball winner.
Between 2017 and 2021, there were 76 Powerball division one wins across Australia that collected more than $2.21 billion.
Initials*
- People with the initial of D have won more than 10% of the Powerball division one prizes during the past five years, followed by people with the initial of B (8.19%).
- No such success for the Quentins and Yvettes of the world; there have been no winners with names starting with Q, U, V, X and Y.
Gender*
- Men had the most good fortune in Powerball, taking home more than two-thirds of the individual division one wins.
Age*
- People in their 60s have won more than a quarter (26.1%) of Powerball’s major prizes during the past five years, followed by people in their 50s (21.4%). People in their 20s, 30s and 40s have had an equal number of wins during this time (11.9%).
Zodiac*
- Capricorns have enjoyed the most Powerball division one wins (15.3%), while Sagittarians, Pisceans, Aquarians and Virgos tie for second place, each with 12.8% of all wins.
States
- New South Wales had the most division one winners (27) during the past five years, followed closely by Queensland (23) and Victoria (18).
- New South Wales also scored the most division one prize money (more than $812 million), with Queensland coming in second (more than $631 million) and Victoria taking out third place (more than $505 million).
*data based on individuals who won Powerball division one between 2017 and 2021 in The Lott’s jurisdictions
Regardless of your name and birthdate, The Lott spokesperson Ally Ramsamy said anyone with a Powerball ticket in their hands before the draw’s close on Thursday night had a chance to nab the $80 million prize.
“As we inch closer to the draw on Thursday night, I know many Aussies will be dreaming about what they’d do with an extra $80 million in their bank accounts,” she said.
“During the last $80 million Powerball draw in December last year, the peak of sales was at 4.43pm on the day of the draw when more than 6,000 entries were sold in-store and online in a single minute.
“I’ll be standing by after Thursday night’s draw waiting to reach out to any registered division one winners, so make sure you register your entries to a player card or online account for the chance to receive that life-changing phone call.
“While it’s fun to delve into the history books and see the trends among previous division one winners, the only thing that’s certain is Powerball is a game of chance that surprises and delights with every draw.
“Last year, Powerball soared to $80 million on three occasions – each with wildly different outcomes. The first $80 million jackpot of 2021 was shared by two players from New South Wales, the next made a North Melbourne dad the year’s biggest lottery winner, while 55 Western Australian women shared an $80 million prize at the end of the year.”
Entries into the $80 million Powerball draw, draw 1344, close at 7.30pm AEST on Thursday 17 February 2022.
