Who plays the Lottery?
A survey of registered Kansas voters commissioned by Christiansen Capital Advisors and conducted in 2004 by Behavior Research Center, shows one-third of those surveyed play one or more of the Kansas Lottery games at least once per month. Men and higher-income voters are the most likely Lottery players, with the largest percentage reporting income of $45,000-$70,000 a year. There is no significant difference in playing patterns based on age nor on region of the state.
Those hardest hit by lottery losses are often those who can least afford it: The poor. Although people from all income levels gamble, the poor are most adversely affected because they cannot afford even a small loss. Unfortunately, low-income households spend a larger percentage of their income on lotteries than those with more wealth and they devour what little “discretionary” income they have, money that could be saved or better spent on food and clothing. Research by the Cincinnati Enquirer found that two-thirds of lottery ticket outlets in Cincinnati were in low-income neighborhoods, and that ticket sales were twice as brisk in the poorest neighborhoods as compared to the wealthiest. Moreover, nearly 60 percent of winners of $1,000 or more lived in areas with household incomes at or below the state average. These findings wreck the argument that lottery players buy their tickets in poorer urban areas as they commute to and from their wealthy suburban homes. In Georgia, not only do
