Why does California win so many Mega Millions and where does New Jersey rank?

Just days after a New Jersey player won a massive, billion-dollar lottery, there’s another Mega Millions billionaire… in California.

The $1.22 billion jackpot winning ticket for Friday’s drawing was sold in Northern California, about two hours above Sacramento. The winner has not yet announced.

The big win comes just a week after someone finally won the $1.13 billion jackpot in a drawing in March. This winning ticket, the last billion-dollar prize, was sold in New Jersey.

So where does the Garden State rank in all-time lottery winnings and why does California always seem to be the winner?

California has an undeniable talent for lottery winnings, boasting 37 Mega Millions jackpots – the second highest in the country, behind only New York’s 44 wins, according to Mega Millions data.

The state’s massive population of nearly 40 million people and high ticket sales give it an advantage, especially when jackpots reach tens of figures and more casual gamblers buy tickets.

However, New Jersey has its own impressive winning record.

The Garden State has 26 Mega Millions jackpots, ranking third in the country. And New Jersey players have won some of the game’s biggest prizes, including a $1.13 billion win in March and a $533 million jackpot in 2018.

It’s not just Mega Millions; New Jersey has also won 12 Powerball jackpots, tied with Kansas and New York.

Of course, these numbers pale in comparison to the top 3 jackpot wins for Powerball. Indiana leads with 39 wins, followed by Missouri with 31 wins and Minnesota with 22 wins.

New Jersey last won Powerball in June, when an anonymous player collected $222 million.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: California wins Mega Millions…again; where New Jersey ranks