Gallup Survey Documents Drop in U.S. Lottery Participation to 31 Percent
TL;DR — Gallup poll records U.S. lottery participation falling from 49% in 2016 to 31% in 2026. Casino gambling reports dropped from 26% to 14% and sports betting from 10% to 7%. Select lotteries including Maryland and Arizona still post record or near-record sales and public fund transfers.
SCCG Take — The gap between poll numbers and actual revenues signals that operators must isolate true player behavior to protect long-term funding for state programs.
A Gallup poll shows the share of American adults buying state lottery tickets has fallen sharply.
Participation declined from 49% in 2016 to 31% in 2026. The figure had averaged in the high 40% range between 2003 and 2016 and stood even higher from 1989 to 1999. As reported by Lottery Daily, 48 jurisdictions now operate lotteries, covering 45 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. These operations generate revenue that supports education, public parks, veterans programs, and infrastructure.
Declines Extend to Casinos and Sports Betting
The same Gallup data records a 12 percentage point drop in reported in-person casino gambling, from 26% in 2016 to 14% in 2026. Betting on professional sports events fell from 10% to 7% over the past decade. This sports-betting decline persists more than eight years after the 2018 repeal of PASPA, which cleared the way for legal markets in more than 40 states.
Revenue Records Diverge from Participation Trends
Certain state lotteries continue to post strong results. The Maryland state lottery directed $532.5m to its general fund from $2.7bn in sales during the 2025/26 fiscal year, its third-best performance in 53 years. Funds supported public schools, a veterans fund, transit improvements, and the Camden Yards Sports Complex. The Arizona Lottery recorded $1.5bn in ticket sales in 2022, paying $1bn in prizes and returning $300m to state agencies.
These outcomes do not align with the self-reported participation drop. The divergence leaves open questions on survey reach, player concentration, or shifts in purchasing channels. State lottery operators and the public entities that depend on their transfers will track whether reported participation trends begin to constrain future revenue stability.
Reporting: Lottery Daily
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Self-reported participation is cratering while actual revenues climb, meaning fewer players are spending far more—or the poll misses the mark.
We've watched lottery and casino operators for three decades, and this disconnect is a red flag. If participation really is shrinking but revenue holds, you're riding a smaller, higher-spending base—vulnerable to economic shifts and regulatory pressure. State budgets depend on these transfers, so isolating true player behavior isn't academic anymore.
- Gallup records lottery participation fell from 49% in 2016 to 31% in 2026; casino play dropped 26% to 14%
- Maryland lottery delivered $532.5m to state coffers from $2.7bn sales; Arizona hit $1.5bn in 2022
- Revenue records contradict poll trends, signaling concentration risk or survey methodology gaps
SCCG angle: SCCG works with lottery suppliers, retail distribution partners, and analytics firms across 545 relationships in every regulated market. When poll data and revenue diverge like this, we connect operators to the data science and player intelligence teams that can tell you whether you have a concentration problem or a measurement problem—and how to hedge either one.
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