Florida ranks 10th nationally for per-capita lottery spending and offers 81 scratch off games to choose from, all offering the chance of big jackpot wins. We monitored winners in Powerball, Mega Millions Lotto Jackpot Triple Play Fantasy 5 to determine which ones offer the greatest chance at victory.
In February, there were 81 Florida lottery winners. Of those winners, 45 used quick pick tickets where a machine randomly picked your numbers for you; 22 of these quick pick tickets were sold at Publix stores and three at 7-Eleven stores.
Many winning tickets were in the $5 million to $25 million range and included four top prizes of $20,000, 60 prizes worth $5,000, 140 prizes worth $1,000 and 3,000 instant-win cash prize coupons valued at $100 each. Florida lottery players may opt to receive their winnings as either an annuity–a series of payments equalling the advertised jackpot–or in one lump sum payment; winners also have the option of having their prizes rollover into another drawing or future jackpot prize pool.
There are currently 22 Florida lottery scratch-off games with $1 million top prizes still available, though many of those prizes have already been claimed. Odds of winning one vary based on game – these can be found on the Florida Lottery’s website.
Increase your chances of winning by selecting numbers less likely to be chosen by others, although if you hit a big jackpot like Powerball or Mega Millions you will have to share with anyone else who also chose those same numbers. If unsure, professional assistance should always be sought if selecting numbers yourself.
An effective strategy for increasing winnings is selecting a game with higher payout levels, which will increase your odds of hitting the top prize and getting back more than what was spent on tickets. Keep in mind that each scratch-off offers different prize levels; thus it is best to determine which fits into both your budget and playing style best.
Track the top winners each month to identify which store sold the most winning lottery tickets in your area. In February, Miami saw the most winners followed by Jacksonville; Publix continued selling more winning lottery tickets in Florida than any other retailer – this will likely continue as long as their 5% lottery rebate program remains active; saving customers money when buying lottery tickets is always welcome!
