News writer
The Rhode Island Lottery was on a roll this weekend, with lottery winners pulling in over $140,000 over three state games.
The three-game streak
A Providence woman hit the $73,825 Wild Money jackpot from the September 26 drawing. She purchased her winning ticket at Brikal Services at 881 Broad St. in Central Falls. Wild Money is a daily drawing jackpot game that starts at $20,000.
In Warwick, a man won $40,000 playing the “Rhode Island Super Loteria” Instant Ticket. He bought his lucky ticket at Sugar Puff Convenience & Smoke Shop, 438 Buttonwoods Ave., and told lottery officials he plans to put his winnings into savings.
Meanwhile, a West Warwick man collected $27,604 from two Daily Numbers tickets in the September 27 midday drawing. This is a twice-daily drawing game where players can make a straight bet or a combo. This winner picked both. The winning tickets were sold at Sai Mart 2, 342 Manton Ave. in Providence.
Rhode Island's love of the lottery
Rhode Island may be small, but its love of the lottery is mighty.
Rhode Islanders spend $573 per capita annually on lottery tickets. It's a distant second only to its direct neighbor, Massachusetts, which sends $915 per capita, according to Lending Tree. These numbers are from 2022, however, and do not encompass the high sales from this year's $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot.
Further, Rhode Island relies more on lottery revenues for services. In most states, lottery revenue comprises 1% of the state revenue, but in Rhode Island, South Dakota, and West Virginia, it constitutes 3%.
After states collect sales from lottery tickets, they spend a large portion of those proceeds on prizes and expenses before working it into their budget. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reported that Rhode Island retains 62% of its lottery revenue, the highest sales retention in New England, and the fourth highest nationally.
Lottery proceeds in Rhode Island aren't dedicated to a specific cause. The money goes to the state's General Fund, which supports tax relief, education, public safety, law enforcement, and human services. They supplement the state budget and benefit social services, public safety, and environmental programs.
Rhode Islanders can play online through the state lottery website.
New Englanders - people from Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut- tend to spend more on the lottery in proportion to their income. In Massachusetts, people spend .99% of their income on lotto tickets. Rhode Islanders come in second at .8%. The national average is .45%.
Why does Rhode Island love the lottery?
It's hard to say exactly why Rhode Islanders love the lottery so much in comparison to other states. However, its vicinity and close relationship to Massachusetts may have something to do with it. Massachusetts was the first state to offer scratch games, creating a gaming culture and fever that has grown and lasted.
Because Rhode Island depends on lottery revenue more than other states, it's also possible that the games are championed more heavily in Rhode Island culture.
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