Data Reveals Extent Of Delaware's Lottery Obsession
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Delaware is the fourth most lottery-obsessed state in the nation.
Casino sweepstakes comparison experts at CasinosSweeps.com have compiled a list of how many times people in each state search for more than 140 terms, including every major national lottery as well as lottery-related phrases like “what are the chances of winning the lottery” and “where to buy lottery tickets near me.”
Delaware ranks fourth with an average search volume of 21,680 per month per 100,000. The state lottery has contributed $6 billion to Delaware’s General Fund, which is used for various public services within the state and operates video lotteries at three racetrack casinos, including Delaware Park.
The largest win was claimed in 2016 by a resident of Selbyville with a ticket value of $121.6 million. Delaware’s most searched lottery is the Powerball, with 4,103 average monthly searches per 100,000 compared with 4,076 average searches for the Mega Millions lottery each month.
The lottery’s $825.2 million in revenue in the 2022 fiscal year including $416.5 million from video slots, followed by draw games at $119.8 million, instant games at $110.9 million, the sports lottery at $109.5 million, table games at $56.3 million, and I-Gaming $12 million according to its website.
The lottery transferred $284.6 million to the state of Delaware, with $233 million transferred to the state’s general fund, $50 to the Department of Agriculture, and $1.5 million to the Department of Health & Human Services..
Revenues in this past fiscal year are higher in absolute terms than they’ve been going back at least 20 years, during which revenues fluctuated between $600 and $700 million.
The 2019 fiscal year was the second highest in terms of absolute revenue, with the lottery making $782.7 million, followed by $770.7 million in 2021, $755.1 million in 2007, 742.2 million in 2011, and $674 million in 2002.
Delawareans also spend the fifth-highest amount on lottery games nationwide. The $736 million in lottery sales equates to an average spend of $743.47 per capita. This is $421.55, or 131% more than the national state average per-head spending.
The Delaware Lottery plans to allow patrons of top lottery ticket sellers to use their debit cards to buy tickets over the counter.
The lottery also will add a Sunday drawing to two of its popular draw games.
The two moves are expected to help the Lottery add another $2.4 million to the state budget in fiscal year 2024, which started July 1, and $6 million in fiscal year 2025.
Since its founding in 1975, the lottery has only allowed cash to be used to buy a ticket over the counter.
The lottery did allow debit cards to be used in machines that sell tickets in places such as Wawa and Royal Farms.
