As sports betting has become legal in increasingly more states, the American gambling landscape has been undergoing a major shift. As of 2022, 32 states have legalized sports betting, casino gaming, or online betting. Combined, U.S. commercial gaming revenue amounted to over $4.4 billion in January 2022 alone, according to the American Gaming Association.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, gambling revenue hit new monthly highs during the spring of 2021. In nearly every state with some form of legalized gambling, gaming companies pulled in millions of dollars per month. But, on average, residents of some states spend considerably more on gambling than others. In some states, gambling revenue amounted to 71 cents per adult resident. In others, this added up to hundreds of dollars per adult resident.
To determine the states with the most gambling revenue per capita, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. States were ranked on the gambling revenue per adult resident in January 2022. Adult population figures came from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Gambling revenues have continually increased in recent months despite the fact that casino visits in early 2022 were roughly equivalent to what they were in January 2020. The growth in the industry has been driven by sports betting and iGaming, which people can do without having to leave their homes.
Many advocates of legalized gambling have pushed local leaders to allocate a portion of the generated tax revenue to schools and after-school programs. In many states that have had casino gaming for years, the gambling industry generates tens of millions of dollars for these and other programs. These are the states that spend the most on gambling.
Click here to see the states where people gamble the most money
32. Oregon
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $0.71
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $2.4 million
> 18 and over population: 3,380,729
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +34.7% (5th highest out of 27)
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31. Montana
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $0.82
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $0.7 million
> 18 and over population: 850,894
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: N/A
30. Wyoming
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $2.45
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $1.1 million
> 18 and over population: 449,237
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: N/A
29. Florida
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $3.29
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $57.6 million
> 18 and over population: 17,482,580
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +15.4% (13th highest out of 27)
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28. Oklahoma
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $3.63
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $11.0 million
> 18 and over population: 3,027,263
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: -2.1% (5th lowest out of 27)
27. Virginia
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $5.81
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $39.1 million
> 18 and over population: 6,724,143
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: N/A
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26. Tennessee
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $6.74
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $36.2 million
> 18 and over population: 5,373,433
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: N/A
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25. New Hampshire
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $7.19
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $8.0 million
> 18 and over population: 1,113,141
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +388.5% (the highest out of 27)
24. Illinois
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $8.95
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $87.8 million
> 18 and over population: 9,809,562
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: -12.8% (2nd lowest out of 27)
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23. Maine
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $9.98
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $11.0 million
> 18 and over population: 1,101,973
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: -2.3% (4th lowest out of 27)
22. New Mexico
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $11.08
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $18.1 million
> 18 and over population: 1,633,828
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +0.1% (7th lowest out of 27)
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21. Connecticut
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $11.87
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $33.7 million
> 18 and over population: 2,838,054
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: N/A
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20. Kansas
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $13.49
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $29.9 million
> 18 and over population: 2,217,059
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: -12.0% (3rd lowest out of 27)
19. Massachusetts
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $14.84
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $82.4 million
> 18 and over population: 5,552,051
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +2.7% (9th lowest out of 27)
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18. South Dakota
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $15.57
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $10.5 million
> 18 and over population: 674,238
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +22.7% (10th highest out of 27)
17. Ohio
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $18.76
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $171.2 million
> 18 and over population: 9,124,576
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +2.3% (8th lowest out of 27)
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16. Arkansas
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $19.14
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $44.6 million
> 18 and over population: 2,330,808
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +16.8% (12th highest out of 27)
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15. New York
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $21.43
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $328.9 million
> 18 and over population: 15,348,422
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +44.2% (4th highest out of 27)
14. Colorado
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $24.44
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $111.4 million
> 18 and over population: 4,557,684
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +62.0% (3rd highest out of 27)
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13. Missouri
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $30.44
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $145.5 million
> 18 and over population: 4,780,119
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +4.7% (11th lowest out of 27)
12. Michigan
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $32.77
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $256.9 million
> 18 and over population: 7,839,742
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +114.0% (2nd highest out of 27)
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11. Maryland
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $33.48
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $158.1 million
> 18 and over population: 4,721,883
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +8.7% (12th lowest out of 27)
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10. Pennsylvania
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $40.19
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $408.4 million
> 18 and over population: 10,162,497
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +32.4% (6th highest out of 27)
9. Indiana
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $42.29
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $219.4 million
> 18 and over population: 5,188,514
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +8.9% (13th lowest out of 27)
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8. West Virginia
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $45.78
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $65.4 million
> 18 and over population: 1,428,520
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +30.4% (7th highest out of 27)
7. Rhode Island
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $53.20
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $45.5 million
> 18 and over population: 855,276
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: -15.5% (the lowest out of 27)
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6. New Jersey
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $54.94
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $381.7 million
> 18 and over population: 6,947,836
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +26.9% (8th highest out of 27)
5. Louisiana
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $55.05
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $196.2 million
> 18 and over population: 3,564,038
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +0.1% (6th lowest out of 27)
4. Delaware
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $57.02
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $44.6 million
> 18 and over population: 782,153
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +21.8% (11th highest out of 27)
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3. Iowa
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $59.43
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $144.9 million
> 18 and over population: 2,438,002
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +24.8% (9th highest out of 27)
2. Mississippi
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $89.06
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $202.5 million
> 18 and over population: 2,273,653
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +11.8% (14th highest out of 27)
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1. Nevada
> Gambling revenue per adult, Jan. 2022: $442.01
> Total gambling revenue, Jan. 2022: $1.1 billion
> 18 and over population: 2,440,679
> Chg. from Jan. 2020: +3.9% (10th lowest out of 27)
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