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How much money do Americans spend on lottery tickets?
August 29, 2019
And the winning numbers of tonight’s lottery are…
We love the thrill of a chance to win big, but who spends the most for this gamble? People ages 65 to 74 spent the most on lottery tickets and pari-mutuels (betting pools), spending an average of $132.43 from the third quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2018. This is almost twice as much, or even more, than the amount spent by any of the other age groups.
Average lottery and pari-mutuel expenditures by age group, third quarter 2017 through second quarter 2018
Age group
Average expenditures
All ages
$69.52
Under 25 years
7.55
25-34 years
40.32
35-44 years
62.08
45-54 years
77.04
55-64 years
63.20
65-74 years
132.43
75 years and older
74.29
Households with incomes in the fourth 20 percent spent the most on lottery tickets and pooled betting, spending an average of $94.72 from the third quarter of 2017 through the second quarter of 2018, compared with $69.52 for all households. The next big spenders were households with incomes in the second 20 percent spending an average of $81.98.
Average lottery and pari-mutuel expenditures by income group, third quarter 2017 through second quarter 2018
Income group
Average expenditures
All households
$69.52
Lowest 20 percent
32.94
Second 20 percent
81.98
Third 20 percent
64.55
Fourth 20 percent
94.72
Highest 20 percent
73.37
These data come from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys and measure how much consumers spent for lottery tickets and lost on pari-mutuels, not how much money consumers placed on a bet. Households, or consumer units, include families, single persons living alone or sharing a household with others but who are financially independent, or two or more persons living together who share expenses.
United States Department of Labor
