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Census: Lottery Sales Nearly Doubled Since 2008 as States’ Share Shrinks
A U.S. Census Bureau analysis found prize payouts rose 118%, leaving states with a smaller share of lottery sales even as overall revenue climbed.
- Nationwide lottery ticket sales nearly doubled to $104.7 billion between fiscal 2008 and 2024, according to a Census Bureau analysis, though states are retaining a smaller share of revenue.
- After being banned in the 19th century due to moral opposition and scandals, lotteries were revived in 1963 in New Hampshire and have since expanded nationwide as states seek revenue without raising taxes.
- Virginia paid out 80% of sales in prizes in fiscal 2024, the highest share nationally, while Kentucky followed at 75% and Missouri, Massachusetts, and Idaho each paid roughly 74%.
- California, New York, Florida, and Texas each sold more than $8 billion in tickets in fiscal 2024, while Arkansas, Wyoming, and Mississippi—newer lottery states—combined for about $1.1 billion.
- Currently, five states—Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah—operate without a state-run lottery, as lottery revenue remains a common government strategy to fund public services without increasing taxes.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left12Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution92% Left
Bias Distribution
- 92% of the sources lean Left
92% Left
L 92%
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