Minnesota has one of the most profitable state lotteries

The advantage of having one official lottery in every state instead of a single game nationwide, is that players get the chance to choose their game. Obviously, most of the residents choose to purchase tickets in their state, but there is always the option of going beyond borders and buy tickets in a different state. One of the reasons for why sometimes players go to great lengths to participate in the front rows is that the prices across the border are higher. Among the state lotteries, Minnesota is one of the most successful and statistics show that almost 70% of its residents have played the lottery at some point.

Lottery officials keep the games fresh

Ever since it was introduced to Minnesota, the lottery has changed very little and still players keep purchasing tickets every week. The officials are struggling to keep the games fresh and every now and then introduce new titles in addition to the regular draws. Scratch ticket sales are on an uptrend and the number of players who purchase them for the sake of quick gains has increased. Whenever the lottery releases its numbers for the previous year, observers from both within and outside state borders are paying attention to see whether the trend is kept alive.

As state lotteries go, Minnesota is a shining example of success and the best proof is that in 2012 lottery sales exceeded $550 million. This is a bump of almost 15% and if compared with the performance of the previous year the sales have increased by almost $40 million. There are a couple of reasons for why Minnesota residents are still playing the local lottery and don’t look elsewhere for alternatives. Obviously, some of them are playing that Mega Millions and Powerball whenever the prices reach record amounts, but most of them play locally.

Scratch ticket sales are going strong

The Powerball is a major contributor to the success of the Minnesota lottery and in 2012 sales have increased and exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. The lottery director told the media that their statistics show that almost a third of the residents in the state are playing the lottery regularly and 60% of the money they spend fuel the prizes. This is great news for both the players and officials, because with so much money to go around both the authorities and the winners make plenty of money.

There are different rules that apply to all state lotteries and in Minnesota the state takes a significant amount but not more than the average. Estimations show that at the end of the year it will receive roughly $140 million which is spent for environmental purposes and education. At the end of the day, everybody wins, but the ones who stand out from the crowd are the ones who match the winning numbers.

Check out European lotteries vs American lotteries as well.