States Spending the Most and Least on Gambling

New Hampshire was the first state in the country to have a lottery. The state lottery, which was legalized in 1964, reported $366.9 million in ticket sales in 2019, less than in the vast majority of states with a lottery. However, adjusting for population, per capita lotto ticket sales in the state totaled $332 per adult, more than in all but 14 states.

There are no commercial casinos or tribal casinos operating in New Hampshire. There are, however, bingo, raffle, and poker rooms that brand themselves as casinos. These venues are legally required to be run by charitable organizations.

There was one commercial casino and one commercial racino operating in Maine in 2019. That same year, the state reported $145.2 billion in commercial casino revenue, an all-time record.

In addition, Maine residents spent some $299.5 million on lottery tickets in 2019. Combined spending in Maine on both the lotto and at commercial casinos totaled $444.6 million, or $405 for every adult in the state.

Following the implementation of a constitutional amendmendment in November 2018, Arkansas became the 25th state to legalize commercial casinos. A total of three commercial casinos operated in the state in 2019 and reported $426.5 in revenue, generating $65.5 million in tax revenue.

One decade before commercial casinos opened in the state, Arkansas created a lottery. Adults 18 and over can buy lotto tickets, including instant games like scratch offs. Combined lotto ticket sales and casino revenue totalled $942 million in Arkansas in 2019, or $406 for every adult resident.

There were eight commercial casinos and racinos in Florida in 2019, and another seven tribal casinos. Commercial casino operations reported $574.7 million in revenue, an all-time high and the 10th consecutive year of growth. Casino spending also generated a total of $201.1 million in tax revenue for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

Florida’s state lottery system generated $6.8 billion in ticket sales in 2019, more than any other state except New York and California. Through both commercial casinos and lotteries, gambling spending totalled $7.3 billion in the Sunshine State in 2019, or $425 for every adult.

There were 22 commercial casinos, 13 tribal casinos, and over 1,300 venues with electronic gaming devices across South Dakota in 2019. Patrons of the state’s commercial casinos spent $110.3 million on gaming in 2019, a record high driven largely by electronic gaming machines at casinos in Deadwood. Commercial casino gambling generated nearly $15 million in tax revenue.

South Dakota has also had a state lottery since 1989, and at $178.1 million, lotto ticket sales eclipsed casino spending in the state in 2019. Between commercial casinos and lottery tickets, gambling expenditures in South Dakota totalled $288.3 million in 2019, or $431 per adult.