What State Spends the Most on the Lottery? See Where Massachusetts Ranks

Massachusetts residents love to gamble.

According to Masslottery.com, the Commonwealth's lottery broke records in 2019 hitting an all-time $5.509 billion in revenue, yielding a net profit of $1.104 billion. Between nine games (The Numbers Game, Keno, Jackpot Poker, All or Nothing, Mass Cash, Megabucks Doubler, Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, Powerball) and countless ever-changing scratch tickets, the Bay State's lottery is thriving.

As a whole, the United States spent $81.6 billion in state lotto tickets in 2019 across the 45 states where games are available, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, and Nevada do not have state lotteries.

How Much Does the Average American Spend on the Lottery Every Year?

According to a study from 24/7 Wall St on average American adults spent about $320 on lottery tickets, however, it varies dramatically from state to state.

What U.S. State Spends the Most On Lottery Tickets?

Massachusetts adults on average spend the most annually on the lottery.

How Much Does the Average Massachusetts Resident Spend on the Lottery Every Year?

Residents in the Bay State spent a whopping $951.92 per adult, which is more than any other state in the U.S. That's just over $600 more than the national average. Massachusetts does however have a higher-than-average return percentage with the average Massachusetts adult winning $701.50 annually.

While this isn't great for the individual player, it is good news for the state's revenue. Lottery ticket sales brought in around $5.09 billion, about 20 percent of which is distributed back to the state's municipalities.

Massachusetts revenue from its resident's gambling will continue to increase as sports betting goes live in early 2023. Gov Charlie Baker's administration first proposed the legalization of sports betting in 2019, a bill which was finally passed in August of 2022. According to the American Gaming Association, the new law makes Massachusetts the 36th state in the U.S. to legalize sports betting.