Connecticut Ranks 6th in Per Capita Lottery Sales Nationally

# Connecticut Ranks 6th Nationally in Lottery Spending, Study Shows

Connecticut residents are among the nation’s biggest lottery players, ranking sixth in the country for per capita spending according to a recent Motley Fool study.

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The average Connecticut resident spends $445 every year on lottery tickets, which is way above the national average of $321.

This high level of participation generates a lot of revenue for state programs. But honestly, it also makes you wonder about gambling habits and the economic impact across communities from Hartford to New Haven.

Connecticut’s Lottery Spending by the Numbers

The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) stands out as a major revenue generator for the state.

With around $1.6 billion in total revenue, the lottery’s financial impact stretches across the Nutmeg State.

Breaking Down Connecticut’s Lottery Economics

Let’s look at how lottery money moves through Connecticut’s economy. Of the $445 spent per resident:

$311 per person is paid back in winnings
$134 per person goes to state funds

This puts Connecticut not just sixth in overall spending, but also fourth highest in the country for lottery payouts per capita.

In places like Stamford and Waterbury, grabbing a lottery ticket at the corner store feels almost routine.

How Connecticut Compares to Neighboring States

Connecticut’s lottery participation is high, but it’s not the highest in the region.

Massachusetts leads the entire nation with a wild $867 in per capita lottery sales. Maybe that’s due to cross-border purchases or just more disposable income floating around there.

Regional Lottery Landscape

While Massachusetts dominates in raw spending, Rhode Island has its own lottery claims to fame.

Rhode Island ranks first nationally for lottery sales as a percentage of its state budget, and it also has the highest per capita losses. These regional quirks show how lottery participation can shift even within New England, affecting communities from Bridgeport to Norwich in different ways.

Recent Performance and Digital Expansion

The Connecticut Lottery Corporation reported total revenues of $1.68 billion in 2024, sending $400 million to various state funds.

Still, that’s $54 million less than the previous fiscal year, so there’s a bit of a dip in lottery participation across towns like Danbury and Greenwich.

iLottery Launch and Future Growth

In July 2024, Connecticut jumped into the digital lottery world by launching iLottery.

By April, this online platform had already pulled in $8.4 million in revenue. Now, you don’t even have to leave your house in New London or Torrington to play.

Despite these tech upgrades, lottery sales were $92.7 million below budget projections as of June 2025.

Industry analysts mostly blame this on lower jackpots in big games like Powerball and Mega Millions—those huge prizes usually get more people to play, but lately, the jackpots just haven’t been as jaw-dropping.

Who Plays and Where the Money Goes

Research shows that a relatively small group of frequent players drive most lottery revenue.

This concentration of spending brings up some tough questions about the lottery’s impact on different groups across Connecticut communities.

Funding State Priorities

The money from Connecticut’s lottery sales mostly goes to a few important areas:

Education initiatives
Public employee benefits
State debt service
Health services

These funds help pay for services that touch people from Middletown to West Hartford—and honestly, probably plenty of other places too. Folks still argue about whether the lottery does more good or harm for state finances and for people at home, but its role in funding can’t really be ignored.

Here is the source article for this story: Report: Connecticut 6th highest lottery sales per capita

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