New York Among Leading States With Most TV Show Millionaire Winners

Fact Checked by Thomas Leary

Few states have a closer connection to the U.S. television industry than the Empire State, which has produced as many actors and directors as any other in the country. Given that longstanding connection, it’s likely of little surprise that New York is among the states that have produced the most TV millionaires of any state in the U.S., with 7.7% of all seven-figure game show winners in the country hailing from New York.

EmpireStakes.com, your home for NY sports betting apps, utilized Wikipedia.com and other sources to gather each contestant who has won a million dollars (in one or multiple attempts) from the U.S. versions of “Survivor,” “Wheel of Fortune,” all variations of “Jeopardy!” “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?” “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” “The Price Is Right,” “Deal or No Deal,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother,” and “The Challenge.”  

Of note, “The Amazing Race” contestants were only counted if both contestants were from the same state and all celebrities were also included (even if donating whole amount).  

New Yorkers have gone on to win $1,000,000 on a variety of reality and game shows, including “Amazing Race,” “Survivor,” “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” “Wheel of Fortune,” and “Jeopardy!”  

States With Most Million Dollar Winners

Rank State Number of Winners Percentage of Winners (Per State)
1California2625%
2New York87.7%
T3Massachusetts & Texas65.8% each
T5Ohio & Pennsylvania54.8% each
7New Jersey43.8%
T8Florida, Illinois, Utah & Virginia32.9% each


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New York Among Leaders For $1M TV Winners

The state of New York finished second nationally, behind California (26), when it came to the number of residents that have won $1 million on TV. 

In total, eight New Yorkers have won $1 million on TV shows, with three each doing so on “Amazing Race” and “Survivor,” while one person has won on both “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”  

Each of the eight $1 million winners from New York illustrate the industry’s connection to the Empire State, which is among the leaders in TV show production in the nation – and No. 1 in the nation in mobile sports betting, in part thanks to NY sportsbook promos.

Author

Christopher Boan writes for EmpireStakes.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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