New data finds that Rhode Island is the state where the lottery has the highest revenue per capita
Residents of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and West Virginia spend the most on lotteries per capita
New York, California, and Florida are the most profitable states for lotteries, according to the data
A nationwide study has revealed the states in which lotteries make the most money.
The research by CasinoReviews analyzed 2022 data from the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) to establish the states where lottery sales outweighed prizes by the most, factoring in population to establish the revenue made by lotteries per capita.
Which States Make Lottery Companies The Most Money Per Capita?
Rhode Island
According to the data, Rhode Island is the state where the lottery makes the most money per capita, per year. Lottery sales in the state in 2022 were $944.5 million, while prizes won were just below $190 million. Therefore, the state spent approximately $755 million more than it won, with revenue per capita coming in at $687.80.
West Virginia
West Virginia is the state in second place for the lottery’s per capita profitability. 2022 lottery sales in West Virginia came in at approximately $1.4 billion, with prizes amounting to just $152.5 million, the revenue per capita is $686.
Delaware
Delaware comes in as the third state where the lottery makes the most. 2022 sales in Delaware came in at $736 million, with $135 million being given out in prizes. The gulf between sales and prizes is approximately $601 million, making for $607 per capita.
Rank
State
Sales ($millions p/year)
Prizes ($millions p/year)
Revenue ($millions p/year)
Revenue Per Capita ($p/year)
1
Rhode Island
944.5
189.7
754.8
687.8
2
West Virginia
1,382.7
152.5
1,230.2
685.9
3
Delaware
736.0
134.9
601.1
607.2
4
Maryland
4,684.2
1695
2,989.2
484.9
5
South Dakota
400.7
42.9
357.8
403.5
6
New York
10,355.5
2209.1
8,146.4
403.3
7
Oregon
1,675.4
257.2
1,418.2
334.7
8
Ohio
5,629.0
2785.8
2,843.2
241.0
9
Massachusetts
5,853.6
4309.8
1,543.8
219.6
10
Georgia
5,553.1
3344.5
2,208.6
206.2
Which States Give Lottery Companies The Highest Overall Revenue?
New York
New York is the state where the lottery makes the largest sheer amount of money. Sales in 2022 amounted to approximately $10.4 billion, with prizes given out of $2.2 billion. This means the revenue made by the lottery in NY is $8.2 billion, almost 700% over the nationwide state average of $1.02 billion.
California
California comes in second. The study revealed that 2022 sales were $8.9 billion in the Golden State, with prizes given out of $5.8 billion. Money made in California equated to approximately $3 billion.
Florida
The research revealed that Florida lotteries made the third most nationwide. Sales of $9.3 billion and prizes of $6.3 billion make for revenue of approximately $3 billion. This is $140 per capita in Florida.
Rank
State
Sales ($millions p/year)
Prizes awarded ($millions p/year)
Revenue ($millions p/year)
1
New York
10,355.5
2,209.1
8,146.4
2
California
8,865.8
5,834.0
3,031.8
3
Florida
9,324.6
6,301.6
3,023.0
4
Maryland
4,684.2
1,695.0
2,989.2
5
Ohio
5,629.0
2,785.8
2,843.2
6
Texas
8,296.9
5,599.7
2,697.2
7
Georgia
5,553.1
3,344.5
2,208.6
8
Michigan
4,896.9
3,097.0
1,799.9
9
Pennsylvania
5,121.3
3,376.1
1,745.2
10
Massachusetts
5,853.6
4,309.8
1,543.8
Where Do Residents Spend The Most On Lottery Games?
Rhode Island
Rhode Island was also the state to spend the most on lottery games per capita. The $944.5 million in sales means that residents of the state spent a huge $861 per resident on games in 2022. This is 167% over the nationwide state average of $321.92 per capita.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts came a close second in this category with enormous sales, meaning that residents spent the equivalent of $832 per capita, 159% over the nationwide state average.
West Virginia
West Virginia is the state that spent the third most per capita, according to the study. The approximately $1.4 billion in sales equates to $771 per capita, 139% more than the national state average.
Rank
State
Sales ($millions p/year)
Sales per capita ($p/year)
1
Rhode Island
944.5
860.71
2
Massachusetts
5,853.6
832.67
3
West Virginia
1,382.7
770.88
4
Maryland
4,684.2
759.79
5
Delaware
736.0
743.47
6
Georgia
5,553.1
518.41
7
New York
10,355.5
512.62
8
Michigan
4,896.9
485.93
9
Ohio
5,629.0
477.06
10
South Dakota
400.7
451.92
Project manager from CasinoReviews Nikoleta Kuncheva commented on the findings: “Lotteries are a phenomenon found in nearly half of the world’s countries, and the US is one of the most keen participants in them. The figures established by this research are fascinating, with many per capita numbers highlighting how keen Americans are to try their luck winning big. It’s certainly interesting to know the areas of the country where this sentiment is the strongest.”
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