State lotteries are bringing in record money, but states are keeping less of it. A new Census Bureau report shows lottery ticket sales nearly doubled to $104 billion between 2008 and 2024. Prize payouts grew even faster, hitting $70 billion.
That means states kept just 33% of lottery revenue last year, down from 39% in 2008. Virginia paid out the most in prizes at 80% of sales, with Kentucky and Missouri close behind. The biggest lottery states — California, New York, Florida and Texas — each topped $8 billion in ticket sales. Five states still don’t have a lottery.
