Between both lotteries and commercial casinos, Americans and tourists spent $125.2 billion on gambling in 2019 — or about $491 for every adult in the country. Of course, gambling laws, which can restrict gambling opportunities, vary by state, as does interest in gambling. And residents of some states spend far more on lottery tickets and at casinos than others.
There were a total of 40 Indian casinos — operated by seven different tribes — in Minnesota in 2019. These establishments are permitted to offer slot machines, video poker, and blackjack, but such casinos are exempt from state taxes. Commercial casinos are not legal in the state. The state’s revenue from gambling comes from the state lottery, which sold nearly $637 million in lottery tickets in 2019.
In the last decade, the Minnesota Vikings NFL team received approval for a new stadium. To help fund the construction, the state was baking on revenue from electronic pull-tabs, which are similar to casino slot machines, in bars around the state. However, the games were not popular and revenue from this form of gambling fell well short of the $35 million that was anticipated.
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Gaming Association, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states spending the most and least on gambling. States were ranked based on total spending on lottery tickets and in commercial casino gaming per adult 18 years and over in 2019. Gaming revenue refers to the amount earned by commercial casinos after winnings have been paid out to patrons.
Exactly what constitutes commercial casino revenue can vary by state. See the AGA report for a full methodological explanation.It is important to note that while there were 524 tribal casinos in the United States in 2019, these institutions are subject to different regulations than commercial casinos, and revenue from these establishments were not included in this story. Click here to see how much people spend on the lottery in every state.
| Rank | State | Lottery and casino spending per adult; 2019 ($) | Lottery ticket sales per adult ($) | Commercial casino consumer spending per adult ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 5,035 | N/A | 5,035 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,594 | 813 | 781 |
| 3 | Delaware | 1,370 | 784 | 586 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 1,121 | 991 | 130 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 972 | 473 | 500 |
| 6 | Mississippi | 966 | N/A | 966 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 880 | 440 | 440 |
| 8 | Maryland | 839 | 466 | 373 |
| 9 | Louisiana | 837 | 147 | 690 |
| 10 | Iowa | 772 | 161 | 611 |
| 11 | New York | 750 | 573 | 177 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 743 | 410 | 333 |
| 13 | Indiana | 678 | 243 | 435 |
| 14 | Missouri | 658 | 295 | 363 |
| 15 | Michigan | 635 | 449 | 185 |
| 16 | Ohio | 557 | 344 | 213 |
| 17 | Georgia | 525 | 525 | N/A |
| 18 | Connecticut | 470 | 470 | N/A |
| 19 | South Carolina | 456 | 456 | N/A |
| 20 | Illinois | 439 | 302 | 137 |
| 21 | South Dakota | 431 | 266 | 165 |
| 22 | Florida | 425 | 392 | 33 |
| 23 | Arkansas | 406 | 222 | 184 |
| 24 | Maine | 405 | 273 | 132 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | 332 | 332 | N/A |
| 26 | Oregon | 326 | 326 | N/A |
| 27 | North Carolina | 325 | 325 | N/A |
| 28 | Colorado | 325 | 140 | 185 |
| 29 | Virginia | 324 | 324 | N/A |
| 30 | Kentucky | 307 | 307 | N/A |
| 31 | Kansas | 302 | 114 | 188 |
| 32 | Tennessee | 289 | 289 | N/A |
| 33 | Texas | 274 | 274 | N/A |
| 34 | Vermont | 273 | 273 | N/A |
| 35 | California | 241 | 241 | N/A |
| 36 | New Mexico | 239 | 88 | 150 |
| 37 | Idaho | 199 | 199 | N/A |
| 38 | Arizona | 178 | 178 | N/A |
| 39 | Wisconsin | 149 | 149 | N/A |
| 40 | Minnesota | 147 | 147 | N/A |
| 41 | Washington | 135 | 135 | N/A |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 127 | 81 | 47 |
| 43 | Nebraska | 123 | 123 | N/A |
| 44 | Montana | 76 | 76 | N/A |
| 45 | Wyoming | 68 | 68 | N/A |
| 46 | North Dakota | 58 | 58 | N/A |
| 47 | Alabama | – | N/A | N/A |
| 48 | Alaska | – | N/A | N/A |
| 49 | Hawaii | – | N/A | N/A |
| 50 | Utah | – | N/A | N/A |
