Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
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.
As of the end of 2019, there were 20 commercial casinos, five tribal casinos, and more than 1,600 locations with electronic gaming devices throughout Louisiana. Louisiana was one of only a handful of states to report declining commercial casino revenue. At $2.5 billion in 2019, commercial casino revenue was about 4% lower than the previous year, the largest such decline of any state. The decline translated to a 3.8% drop in casino tax revenue.
Louisiana residents spent an additional $524.0 million in lottery tickets in 2019. Combined casino and lotto spending in the state totalled $3.0 billion in 2019, or $837 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.
