North America’s Luckiest Lottery Numbers This Halloween

Halloween is less than two weeks away – and while the spooky season is known for its misfortune and bad omens, lottery players across North America will be hoping they still have a chance to break the curse and land a lifechanging jackpot.

In light of the most superstitious time of the year, Casino Guru USA examined US and Canadian lottery databases from the very beginning of each game – winning numbers within the final week of October in each year were obtained and compared against the number of eligible draws, finding out exactly which ones are the luckiest to play this Halloween, and which ones you might want to avoid this spooky season.

Key findings

• In the US, the luckiest white ball lottery number is 56, drawn 13 times in Halloween week throughout the history of Powerball and Mega Millions, which is 109% above its expected draws; 64 and 65 are the unluckiest to pick, with only one draw each
• Across both Powerball and Mega Millions, 20 takes the crown as the luckiest special ball number, drawn 7 times in total and 93% more than expected, while the unluckiest is 18, having never been drawn during Halloween week in the history of both lotteries
• IN is the luckiest state for a Halloween lottery win with two winning tickets sold, followed by MN, PA, MI, LA, IA, and NY, all with one each
• Canadians might want to leave a spot for main ball number 29 on their slip, with 23 appearances out of 125 draws (50% above expected) – but 27 has had a spookier run, with just 8 draws in total (48% below expected)
• For Canada’s single special ball, 31 ranks #1 luckiest with its 6 appearances 176% higher than expected, while 4, 19, 29, 34, 35, and 36 have yet to make an appearance during Halloween week

The US’s luckiest and unluckiest lottery numbers

Across the Mega Millions and Powerball, one number has had a little bit more luck than the rest – 56. With 13 appearances from 81 eligible draws, that’s an impressive 109% above expected. Completing the top three luckiest numbers are 19 (69% above expected) and 57 (67% above).

In true Halloween fashion, the study also uncovered the unluckiest white ball numbers – and tying for first place are 64 and 65, each appearing in only one draw which is 74% lower than their expected appearances. Number 55 continues the streak of bad luck, with 57% fewer draws than expected, followed by 23 (56% below expected) and 69 (47% below).

As any experienced lottery player knows, the selection slip doesn’t stop there – there’s one extra number, the special ball, to consider. And 20 is the luckiest of all, with its 7 draws sitting 93% above the expected rate. Numbers 21, 22, 23, and 24 have all shared good fortune, each appearing 65% above their expected draws. But you might want to steer clear of number 18 when it comes to the special balls, as the only number to have never been drawn across both the Powerball and Mega Millions.

Some states have been luckier than others when it comes to Halloween jackpots – and Indiana earns the name of the #1 luckiest overall, as the only state to have had two winners in Halloween week historically. One lucky Hoosier’s ticket was one of two that matched the numbers for a $190.9M Powerball jackpot in 2003 – and just four days later, another Indianan was the sole winner of a $10M jackpot. Aside from Indiana, six other states have each had one winner during Halloween week: Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Canada’s luckiest and unluckiest lottery numbers

Crossing the border, number 29 is Canada’s luckiest main ball, with 23 draws out of 125 eligible appearances in Halloween week since each lottery’s very first draws – 50% above the expected rate. Next in line is 16 (43% above), with 3, 34, and 39 finishing off the top five at 37% above their expected appearances.

However, you may wish to steer clear of number 27 when it comes to the main balls, which has only been drawn an underwhelming 8 times out of 125 eligible appearances – 48% below the expected rate. Following closely behind is number 21 as the #2 unluckiest (42% below) and 31 in third place (35% below).

31 – unlucky 13 in reverse – is Canada’s special ball number that’s experienced the most good fortune despite the spooky season curse, with its 6 draws sitting 176% above the expected appearances, while number 46 ranks as the #2 luckiest, appearing 130% more often than expected. 19, 29, 34, 35, and 36 tie as the unluckiest, with not a single draw between them in Halloween week.

Casino Guru USA spoke to Inbaal Honigman, renowned Psychic and Astrologer, to find out if luck plays a factor in lottery draws:

"The topic of lucky numbers goes back through history, as different cultures and regions viewed some numbers as luckier than others. For example,the number 13 has been seen as unlucky all the way back to Norse mythology. One may view the number 3 as their lucky digit because they associate the number with positive experiences, while another might see the number 17 whenever they hear good news.

"The US’s luckiest lottery numbers feature the number 2 and the number 5 quite heavily. In numerology, the number 2 represents partnership, duality, balance, and peacekeeping. In numerology, the number 5 represents freedom, adventure, curiosity, and dynamic change. The USA has certainly led the way with freedom. The goddess Libertas, after whom the Statue of Liberty is modeled, is the ancient Roman goddess of freedom. The US has been crucial in international peacekeeping, partnerships and even in curiosity, and this could be the reason that those digits resonate with the fate and fortune of the United States.

"The luckiest and unluckiest numbers in the Canadian lottery reveal something fascinating about the very nature of luck. Some of the luckiest main ball numbers are identical to some of the unluckiest special ball numbers, and vice versa. This tells us that luck is not about the specific value, but about context. If the number 31 is one of the luckiest special balls but an unlucky main ball, this calls on each individual to turn to their personal intuition in order to divine which numbers are right for them in that moment. 31st of October is the time of year when the veil between our world and the spirit world is the thinnest, therefore our intuition is extra strong at this time."

Methodology

In October 2026, Casino Guru examined lottery databases to source past results from the very first draw date across each lottery. The results were filtered to focus on draws between October 25 and October 31.

The frequency of each number across all draws was calculated and combined for each lottery in the US and Canada. The probability of each number actually being drawn was calculated, and this was compared to the frequency, therefore determining the % above or below expected. Deviation scores were calculated to ensure that numbers with fewer eligible drawers were not unfairly ranked as the luckiest or unluckiest, due to number pools in each lottery changing over time.

Note: White/main balls and special balls were calculated separately due to their varying chances of being selected.

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