If you've ever stood at a gas station in Concord or a corner store in Burlington, you know the feeling. You're staring at that little slip of paper, wondering if the universe has a sense of humor. Tri State Megabucks is basically the grandfather of multi-state lotteries. It’s been around since 1985, long before Powerball became a global behemoth. But honestly, most people looking for tri state megabucks past winning numbers aren't just looking for history. They're looking for a pattern. They want to know if "23" is due or if "7" is tired.
Checking the archives isn't just about curiosity. It’s a ritual.
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The Tri-State Lotto Commission—which is just a fancy name for the team-up between Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont—draws these numbers three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. Every time those balls drop, thousands of people across northern New England scramble to see if their lives just changed.
The Numbers That Actually Hit Lately
Let’s look at the cold, hard facts. If you missed the most recent draws, you might be sitting on a winning ticket without even knowing it. This isn't some "maybe" scenario. People forget to check.
For the drawing on Saturday, January 17, 2026, the winning combination was 2, 10, 23, 26, 28 with a Megaball of 3.
A few days earlier, on January 14, the numbers were 5, 8, 21, 28, 37 with a Megaball of 6. Notice anything? The number 28 showed up in both. That’s the kind of thing that makes players go crazy. They see a repeat and think they’ve cracked the code.
On January 12, the set was 2, 19, 23, 32, 33 and the Megaball was 4. Again, we see 2 and 23 popping back up from the most recent draw. It feels like the machine has favorites, doesn't it? It doesn't, obviously. Physics is just weird like that.
Why Tri State Megabucks Past Winning Numbers Matter to Players
Is there a "hot" number? Statistical experts like the ones at Lottery Codex or Smart Luck spend a lot of time analyzing frequency. If you look at the last 200 draws, certain numbers like 19, 21, and 2 tend to appear more often than others.
But here is the reality check: every draw is an independent event. The machine doesn't remember that it picked 19 last week. It’s just plastic balls and air.
Most seasoned players use past results to avoid "bad" combinations. For example, did you know that drawing all odd or all even numbers happens less than 2% of the time? It’s true. Most winning tickets have a 3/2 or 2/3 split. If you’re picking 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, you’re basically betting against gravity.
The History of the Game
The compact started in April 1985. Since then, over 480 jackpots have been won. Maine actually holds the record for the most jackpot winners, followed by New Hampshire and then Vermont. It’s a regional pride thing at this point.
The format has changed over the years too. It used to be different, but now it’s a 5/41 matrix with a 1/6 Megaball. This actually makes the odds much better than something like Powerball. You have a 1 in 4.4 million chance of hitting the jackpot here. Compared to the 1 in 292 million for Powerball? That's practically a sure thing. Well, not really, but you get the point.
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What to Do If Your Numbers Match
First, don't scream. Or do, but keep a grip on the ticket.
You have exactly one year from the draw date to claim your prize. If you won $2 or $7, any retailer can pay you out. If you hit the $30,000 second-tier prize or the jackpot, you’re heading to the lottery headquarters in Augusta, Concord, or Berlin.
Pro tip: Sign the back of your ticket immediately. In the eyes of the law, a lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument." That means whoever holds it, owns it. If you drop a winning ticket and haven't signed it, finders keepers is a very real, very painful legal reality.
Breaking Down the Odds
If you're studying tri state megabucks past winning numbers, you should know what you're actually playing for.
- Jackpot: Match 5 + Megaball (1 in 4,496,388)
- $30,000: Match 5 (1 in 899,278)
- $1,300: Match 4 + Megaball (1 in 24,980)
- $2: Match 2 or Match 1 + Megaball (roughly 1 in 13 to 1 in 15)
The overall odds of winning something are about 1 in 6. That's why people love this game. You usually get your $2 back often enough to keep the dream alive.
Common Misconceptions About Past Results
A lot of people think that if a number hasn't been drawn in a while, it's "overdue." This is the Gambler's Fallacy. If you toss a coin and get heads ten times in a row, the chance of the next toss being tails is still exactly 50%.
The same applies to the Megabucks balls.
However, looking at past data can help you see how "balanced" your numbers are. If your five numbers add up to a sum between 69 and 116, you're in the "golden zone." About 70% of all winning combinations fall into that range. It’s just math.
The Strategy of the "Quick Pick" vs. Manual Choice
About 70-80% of winners are Quick Picks. Is that because the computer is smarter? No. It’s because most people are lazy and let the machine choose.
If you choose your own numbers based on birthdays or anniversaries, you're limited to 1 through 31. Since the Megabucks field goes up to 41, you're ignoring a huge chunk of the available numbers. This actually increases the chance that if you do win, you'll have to share the jackpot with ten other people who also used their kids' birthdays.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Ticket
Stop just glancing at the numbers and start playing smarter.
Verify your old tickets. Go to the official Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont lottery websites. They have "Check My Ticket" tools where you can type in your numbers. Don't rely on a blurry photo of a newspaper.
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Diversify your range. If you’re picking your own numbers, make sure you have at least one or two numbers above 31.
Watch the jackpot cycle. The jackpot starts at $1 million. It grows every time no one wins. If it hits $2 million or $3 million, the "value" of your $2 ticket technically goes up because the potential payout is higher relative to the odds.
Set a limit. Seriously. It’s a game. If you're spending money you need for rent on Tri State Megabucks, the numbers aren't your biggest problem. Keep it fun.
Check the latest winning numbers from the January 17 draw—2, 10, 23, 26, 28 [3]—and see how they stack up against your usual picks. If you're a regular player, keep a small log of what's hitting. It won't guarantee a win, but it makes the Monday night draw a lot more interesting.