Each state has a different lottery payout and a way that they go about their lotteries. Some states do not have them at all. Six states do not sell lottery tickets at all. It is a good idea to look into this before heading out to buy your next lottery ticket. You may find that you want to cross over to another state and try your luck there as well. As each state has different methods on what they do with all the lottery sales and how much of them make it back to the winners.
Lottery Payout
A lottery payout is more technical than just the money you win. Each state has a different percentage of the ticket sales that make its way back to the winner. Some States close to eighty percent, while others are as low as twenty percent of the ticket sales. The rest is used differently by states as well. They all use it to pay the salaries of their employees and for advertising. Some states use a percentage of the money for a social cause or educational initiatives. It is worth seeing where your money is going. It may make buying tickets, knowing the odds are not in your favor, easier for you.
Best States
Of the forty-four states that sell lottery tickets, Idaho is the best. They are well above the average, with their lottery payout being almost eighty percent. If you win the lottery here, you are getting a great return if enough people buy tickets. After Idaho, there are a few other comparable states, being around seventy percent. Those states are North Dakota, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Arizona, South Caroline, Pennsylvania, and Maine. Living in one of these eight states gives you a chance of a grand prize.
Worst States
Six states do not even have lotteries, so those would be the absolute worst payouts at zero percent. After those, the least amount is sixteen percent in West Virginia. Oregon and South Dakota are not much better, as they are still under thirty percent. Sitting right at thirty percent, you have Delaware and Rhode Island. These five states fall below the average. There are others below fifty percent, but these are the lowest.
Low Payout
A low payout does not mean that the money prize is going to be small. It just means that the percentage of the money made will be small. For example, if they sold enough tickets to make two million dollars, a fifty percent payout would be a million dollars. No one is going to look at that as a small amount of money. Another thing to think of is the good the rest of the money is doing for the state. Using the rest of the funds to benefit the community will make it sting less when thinking of the prize money with a larger lottery payout. Get researching and find out where you need to buy for next ticket.
