If you are living in California and feeling a little lucky, there is some genuinely exciting news coming your way. According to a fascinating brand-new study analyzing years of lottery data, the Golden State has officially crowned itself as America’s absolute luckiest destination when National Lottery Day rolls around. Conducted by the gambling information hub Casino.org, this deep dive relied on exclusive historical data obtained through Freedom of Information requests. Researchers meticulously tracked over 7,000 winning scratch-off and draw lottery tickets sold across the United States specifically on July 17 between the years 2020 and 2024. Over this brief five-year window, hopeful players holding winning tickets purchased on this symbolic annual date walked away with a collective fortune of more than $41 million, proving that a single mid-July day can hold life-changing potential for those willing to take a chance.
What makes this particular research so intriguing is that it flips the script on how we usually define lottery luck. Rather than simply ranking places by the size of their massive multimillion-dollar jackpots, the analysts focused on the sheer volume of winning tickets sold on July 17. By measuring the frequency of wins rather than the raw dollar amounts of the biggest prizes, the study paints a clearer picture of where everyday players stand the highest statistical likelihood of finding a winning ticket in their hands. Through this lens of sheer consistency, California completely blew past the competition, registering a staggering 2,195 winning tickets sold on National Lottery Day over the five-year stretch—a triumphant total that no other state in the country could match.
The wave of good fortune sweeps all the way down to the local level, with Los Angeles solidifying its reputation as a true hotspot for lottery hopefuls. Clinching the number-one spot among all major U.S. cities, L.A. saw 198 winning tickets sold on July 17 over the studied timeframe, yielding a combined payout of $433,892. This hot streak shows absolutely no signs of cooling down anytime soon; in fact, the city’s golden run extended brilliantly into the most recent year, with an impressive 45 winning tickets sold within Los Angeles on July 17, 2025, alone, proving that the city’s vibrant energy is practically magnetic when it comes to scratch-offs and lucky draws.
If you are wondering exactly where to go in the City of Angels to capture some of this magic for yourself, the researchers have already done the mapping for you. They pinpointed a specific, unassuming local business as the undisputed champion of luck in Los Angeles: H & T Unocal #2, located at 475 S. Avenue 60 in the historic neighborhood of Highland Park. This neighborhood service station has quietly transformed into a local legend, producing more winning National Lottery Day tickets than any other retailer in the city. Since 2023, lucky players visiting this specific location have walked out the door with a combined total of $38,920 in prize money, making it a mandatory detour for anyone hoping to turn a routine fuel stop into a celebratory payday.
While Los Angeles may hold the crown for the highest quantity of winners, other corners of the country took home the gold when it came to the sheer magnitude of cash prizes. For those chasing the largest overall payouts on National Lottery Day, the small town of Danvers, Massachusetts, emerged as the ultimate heavy hitter, with July 17 winners claiming a massive collective $2.6 million over the five-year period. Close behind in the high-roller category were several other notable cities, including Orangeburg, South Carolina, where winners secured $2.005 million; Tampa, Florida, with $1.123 million in payouts; Delray Beach, Florida, at $1.034 million; and Frisco, Texas, where players walked away with a combined $1.033 million.
Ultimately, while these historical patterns make for incredible conversation and harmless daydreaming, it is important to remember the playful nature of the lottery. Commissioned by Casino.org—an established authority in gambling news, casino reviews, and betting guides since 1995—the study is a fun showcase of past trends, but it is not a crystal ball. At the end of the day, these games remain entirely based on random chance, meaning every single ticket has the exact same mathematical odds of winning, no matter if you purchase it at a legendary service station in Highland Park or a quiet convenience store on the other side of the country.
