Americans Spent $110.4 Billion on Lottery Tickets in 2024: Which States Spent the Most?

Americans spent a whopping $110.4 billion on lottery tickets in 2024, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by LendingTree. That marks an increase from $109 billion in 2023 and $103.3 billion in 2022.

On average, Americans spent $323 per person on lottery tickets during the year. However, spending habits varied widely across the country, with some states seeing major increases and others reporting declines.

Massachusetts Tops the Nation in Lottery Spending

Massachusetts once again ranked first in per-person lottery spending, with residents spending an average of $904 in 2024. Although that was slightly lower than the $915 recorded in 2023, it remained 43.5% higher than the next-highest state.

Here’s how the top three states compared:

• Massachusetts: $904 per person
• Virginia: $630 per person
• Rhode Island: $567 per person

North Dakota ranked at the other end of the list, with residents spending just $51 per person. Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma were the only other states where average spending remained below $100.

The analysis also revealed a clear regional divide. All 10 states with the highest per-person lottery spending were east of the Mississippi River, while all 10 of the lowest-spending states were west of it.

North Carolina Sees a Major Jump in Lottery Spending

North Carolina recorded the country's largest increase in per-person lottery spending in 2024. Spending climbed 20.3%, from $421 to $506 per resident.

LendingTree linked the increase to the state's introduction of digital instant-win games in 2023. These games generated more than $1.3 billion in sales during fiscal year 2024.

Virginia also experienced a significant increase, with per-person spending rising 18.3%, from $532 to $630. Wyoming, meanwhile, recorded the largest decline, with spending dropping 8%.

Across the country, per-person lottery spending fell in 28 states, increased in 16, and remained unchanged in California.

Lottery Players Won an Average of $215 Per Person

Lottery prizes also added up in 2024, with average per-person winnings reaching $215. However, LendingTree noted that a few exceptionally large jackpots pushed up the figure, meaning it may not reflect what typical players actually won.

Prize payouts also differed significantly between states.

Virginia had the highest payout share, returning approximately 76% of the $5.6 billion spent by players. That amounted to roughly $4.2 billion in prizes.

South Dakota had the lowest payout share, returning just 19.8% of lottery spending to players.

LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz called the amount Americans spend on lottery tickets remarkable, particularly given the financial pressure many households face when covering everyday expenses.

Powerball and Mega Millions Delivered Massive Jackpots

Big wins in national lottery games added to the excitement in 2024. Several prizes from Powerball and Mega Millions reached the billion-dollar mark, creating some of the year's biggest lottery headlines.

Biggest Powerball Wins of 2024

Two of the 10 largest Powerball jackpots on record were won in 2024:

• $1.326 billion: A winning ticket sold in Oregon.
• $842.4 million: A winning ticket sold in Michigan.

These prizes now rank as the ninth- and sixth-largest jackpots in Powerball history, respectively.

Mega Millions Also Produced Billion-Dollar Winners

Mega Millions had an impressive year, with three jackpots from 2024 ranking among the game's 10 largest prizes.

The biggest wins included:

• $1.269 billion: Won by a California ticket.
• $1.128 billion: Won by a New Jersey ticket.
• $810 million: Won by a Texas ticket.

The California prize also ranked as the eighth-largest lottery payout across all U.S. lottery games, according to the report.

Previous Wins Helped Keep Lottery Excitement Alive

The record-breaking jackpots of 2024 followed another memorable year for lottery players in 2023.

Two of the 10 Mega Millions jackpots won in 2023 still rank as the game's largest and third-largest prizes. Meanwhile, two of the five Powerball jackpots won that year remain among the 10 biggest in the game's history.

With billions of dollars spent on tickets and several record-setting jackpots in recent years, lottery games continued to attract players across the United States in 2024.