Here’s how much Georgia residents spend on gambling

The 465 commercial casinos operating in the United States at the end of 2019 reported a combined revenue of $43.6 billion — an all-time high. Gambling in the United States is by no means limited to casinos, either. All but six states had lottery games in 2019, and lottery ticket sales totalled $81.6 billion that year.

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 are no casinos — tribal or commercial — in Georgia. Despite the relatively strict gambling laws, Georgia’s lottery, which was approved by voters in 1992, is among the most popular in the country. Lotto ticket sales totalled $4.3 billion in 2019, more than in all but five other states. Lotto spending per adult in the state totaled $525 per adult, more per capita than in all but four states.

Georgia is the only state without any commercial casinos where gambling expenditures exceed $500 per adult.

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.

RankStateLottery and casino spending per adult; 2019 ($)Lottery ticket sales per adult ($)Commercial casino consumer spending per adult ($)
1Nevada5,035N/A5,035
2Rhode Island1,594813781
3Delaware1,370784586
4Massachusetts1,121991130
5New Jersey972473500
6Mississippi966N/A966
7West Virginia880440440
8Maryland839466373
9Louisiana837147690
10Iowa772161611
11New York750573177
12Pennsylvania743410333
13Indiana678243435
14Missouri658295363
15Michigan635449185
16Ohio557344213
17Georgia525525N/A
18Connecticut470470N/A
19South Carolina456456N/A
20Illinois439302137
21South Dakota431266165
22Florida42539233
23Arkansas406222184
24Maine405273132
25New Hampshire332332N/A
26Oregon326326N/A
27North Carolina325325N/A
28Colorado325140185
29Virginia324324N/A
30Kentucky307307N/A
31Kansas302114188
32Tennessee289289N/A
33Texas274274N/A
34Vermont273273N/A
35California241241N/A
36New Mexico23988150
37Idaho199199N/A
38Arizona178178N/A
39Wisconsin149149N/A
40Minnesota147147N/A
41Washington135135N/A
42Oklahoma1278147
43Nebraska123123N/A
44Montana7676N/A
45Wyoming6868N/A
46North Dakota5858N/A
47AlabamaN/AN/A
48AlaskaN/AN/A
49HawaiiN/AN/A
50UtahN/AN/A

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