Marylanders spent an average of $382 per person on the lottery in 2012, but spending was significantly higher in Baltimore city, Charles County and Prince George's County.
Marylanders spent an average of $382 per person on the lottery in 2012, but spending was significantly higher in Baltimore city, Charles County and Prince George's County.
Lottery Ticket Spending Highest in Baltimore City, Charles County and Prince George's County
by HYON-YOUNG KIM and AMIRAH AL IDRUS
Adults in Maryland spent, on average, $382 each on the lottery in 2012, but there was wide variation in spending levels in different parts of the state.
The average adult in Baltimore city ($579), Charles County ($547) and Prince George's County ($529) spent five times more on the lottery in 2012 than the average adult in Garrett County ($107), according to a Capital News Service analysis of lottery sales data.
Spending on different lottery games also varied widely throughout the state. For example, the average adult in Baltimore city spent significantly more on Pick 3 and Pick 4 ($282) in 2012 than the average adult in the next highest county, Prince George's ($183). But the average adult in Baltimore city only spent $32 on jackpot games like Mega Millions and Powerball in 2012, one of the lowest figures in the state.
Use this interactive map to compare total lottery spending and spending on different lottery games throughout the state. Average spending was calculated by dividing total spending in a county by number of adults. As such, the averages may skew slightly higher in counties where more non-residents purchase lottery tickets. Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.
2012 Average Per Adult Spending on (Click a county for details)
$107
$579
$54
$146
$16
$233
$6
$282
$17
$59
Maryland lottery sales totaled $1.69 billion in 2012, or $382 per adult in the state. Average per adult spending was highest in Baltimore city, Charles County and Prince George's County. The smallest per capita spending came from counties in Western Maryland, where there is competition from county-regulated games of chance -- such as tip jars, commonly found in bars and fraternal halls, in which players pay a dollar for a chance to draw a winning number from a container.
Sales of instant scratchoff tickets -- ranging in cost from $1 to $20 -- totaled $476 million in Maryland in 2012, accounting for 28 percent of all lottery sales. The average Maryland adult spent $107 in 2012, with the highest average spending in Baltimore city ($146) and St. Mary's County ($130).
Spending on Keno and Racetrax, a Keno variant, totaled $476 million in Maryland in 2012, accounting for 28 percent of all lottery sales. The average Maryland adult spent $107 on Keno and Racetrax in 2012, with the highest average spending in Worcester County ($233) and Charles County ($226).
Spending on Pick 3 and Pick 4 totaled $487 million in Maryland in 2012, accounting for 29 percent of all lottery sales. The average Maryland adult spent $110 on Pick 3 and Pick 4 in 2012, with the highest average spending in Baltimore city ($282) and Prince George's County ($183).
Spending on Powerball and Mega Millions totaled $202 million in Maryland in 2012, accounting for 12 percent of all lottery sales. The average Maryland adult spent $46 on the jackpot games in 2012, with the highest average spending in Worcester County ($59) and Queen Anne's County ($57).
This project was produced by student journalists at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. It represents a collaboration between students working for the college's non-profit news organization, Capital News Service, and students in three advanced reporting capstone classes: Baltimore Urban Affairs Reporting, Investigative Reporting and Advanced Video Storytelling. This work was supported in part by the Abell Foundation and The Baltimore Sun. Copyright Capital News Service 2014.
