South Dakota Outspends Much of the Nation on Lotterty Tickets

With Wednesday's (October 4) Powerball jackpot at a staggering $1.2 billion, sales of tickets for the drawing could be at an all-time high across the country.

But according to a new study, in South Dakota, we don't wait for a big potential payout to play the lottery, we're hooked at any amount.

Research by CasinoReviews looked at the most recent data from the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries on the lottery spending habits of each state.

Get our free mobile app

According to the numbers, lottery players in the Mount Rushmore State spend the tenth most per capita in America on tickets - just over $450 - which is nearly $130 more than the national average.

Two states (Rhode Island and Massachusetts) spend nearly double South Dakota's total each year:

ANNUAL LOTTERY SALES PER CAPITA

1. Rhode Island: $860.71
2. Massachusetts: $832.67
3. West Virginia: $770.88
4. Maryland: $759.79
5. Delaware: $743.47
6. Georgia: $518.41
7. New York: $512.62
8. Michigan: $485.93
9. Ohio: $477.06
10. South Dakota: $451.92

All of those ticket sales in South Dakota are creating a financial boon for the state.

South Dakota is fifth in the nation in lottery revenue per capita, bringing in more than $400 annually.

ANNUAL LOTTERY REVENUE PER CAPITA

1. Rhode Island: $687.80
2. West Virginia: $685.90
3. Delaware: $607.20
4. Maryland: $484.90
5. South Dakota: $403.50
6. New York: $403.30
7. Oregon: $334.70
8. Ohio: $241.00
9. Massachusetts: $219.60
10. Georgia: $206.20