This is How Much Alabama Spends on Gambling
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.
Alabama had no commercial casinos or state lotteries as of 2019. It does, however, have three tribal casinos. Each of the three casinos — Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, Wind Creek Casino in Montgomery, and Wind Creek Casino in Wetumpka — is owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally-recognized tribe in Alabama. These casinos do not pay a state tax. Recently, however, the state opened the Center Stage Bingo casino, a commercial facility in Cottonwood.
Earlier this year, a bill proposed in the state legislature called for the authorization of a state lottery, in addition to five new casinos and sports betting. A report commissioned by Gov. Kay Ivey estimated that such a move would create 19,000 jobs and raise up to $700 million in tax revenue that would be used for education and broadband expansion. The bill, however, fell two votes short of the threshold necessary to pass in March.
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Gaming Association, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states spending the most and least on gambling. States were ranked based on total spending on lottery tickets and in commercial casino gaming per adult 18 years and over in 2019. Gaming revenue refers to the amount earned by commercial casinos after winnings have been paid out to patrons.
Exactly what constitutes commercial casino revenue can vary by state. See the AGA report for a full methodological explanation.It is important to note that while there were 524 tribal casinos in the United States in 2019, these institutions are subject to different regulations than commercial casinos, and revenue from these establishments were not included in this story. Click here to see how much people spend on the lottery in every state.
RankStateLottery and casino spending per adult; 2019 ($)Lottery ticket sales per adult ($)Commercial casino consumer spending per adult ($)1Nevada5,035N/A5,0352Rhode Island1,5948137813Delaware1,3707845864Massachusetts1,1219911305New Jersey9724735006Mississippi966N/A9667West Virginia8804404408Maryland8394663739Louisiana83714769010Iowa77216161111New York75057317712Pennsylvania74341033313Indiana67824343514Missouri65829536315Michigan63544918516Ohio55734421317Georgia525525N/A18Connecticut470470N/A19South Carolina456456N/A20Illinois43930213721South Dakota43126616522Florida4253923323Arkansas40622218424Maine40527313225New Hampshire332332N/A26Oregon326326N/A27North Carolina325325N/A28Colorado32514018529Virginia324324N/A30Kentucky307307N/A31Kansas30211418832Tennessee289289N/A33Texas274274N/A34Vermont273273N/A35California241241N/A36New Mexico2398815037Idaho199199N/A38Arizona178178N/A39Wisconsin149149N/A40Minnesota147147N/A41Washington135135N/A42Oklahoma127814743Nebraska123123N/A44Montana7676N/A45Wyoming6868N/A46North Dakota5858N/A47Alabama-N/AN/A48Alaska-N/AN/A49Hawaii-N/AN/A50Utah-N/AN/A
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