Lottery Demographics

Table of contents:

• HOW MANY PEOPLE BET ON THE LOTTERY?
• LOTTERY DEMOGRAPHICS
• SCRATCHCARDS
• WHAT HAPPENS TO WINNERS AFTER THE LOTTERY?
• USA LOTTERY STATISTICS
• LOTTERY WINNER STATISTICS FACTS

How many people bet on the lottery?

How many people buy lottery tickets? It turns out a staggering 70% of the UK's over-18s take part in the national lottery on a regular basis, which is close to 45 million people. (That's about the same number of people that live in Ukraine.) On top of that, at least 50% of the overall population do more than once a month, and on average, they buy a minimum of 3 tickets each week.  

January 6th, 1996 saw the very first double rollover in the United Kingdom, prompting a staggering 86% of the population of Britain to dash out to buy a ticket! In fact, the lottery is so popular in the UK that even our dear old Queen has had a go, and banked £10 on the very first lotto draw. Leading to a host of happy headline writers who could run with "One's Won" the following day. 

Take a look at the infographic we've designed, which goes into detail on just who buys lottery lines and scratch-cards on both sides of the pond:

Note: these are statistics for the main draws, not for betting online with Lottoland using one of our betslips.

Lottery Demographics

The demographic of lottery participants is far broader than one might expect. For starters, it is an even split between men and women, at least in the United Kingdom.

Of 18 to 25-year-olds, roughly 1/6 of this age range play the lottery at least once a month. Between the ages of 25 and 34, around 1/3 buy a ticket, while half of those over 35s partake in a lottery draw at some point during any given month. After researching some data and the most common features of winners, if you're a male called Barry, over the age of 60 and live in Thornton Heath, you are, on average, Britain's luckiest person. 

Studies have also shown that if you are upper or middle class, you are less likely to partake in a lotto draw than someone who is working class. And finally… people on benefits are 4% more likely to buy a ticket than those who are not.

Please note that Lottoland is not a lottery operator and you are not buying a ticket with an applicable lottery. You must be 18 years of age or older to register and bet. Please see the Terms and Conditions. 

Scratchcards

Just under 1/4 of British citizens buy a scratchcard at least once a month, while over 50% buy one at least once in a calendar year. That shows that all of us like to scratch that itch, at least once in a while! When it comes to age groups, 55-64-year-olds were the most likely to purchase a scratchcard, with 31% of that age range picking up at least one a month.

Here at Lottoland, we offer a range of instant win scratchcards, with top prizes on offer going into the millions - quite a bit bigger than you will find on the card you pick up in your local shop!

What happens to winners after the lottery?

85% of lottery winners never reveal their identity, which means we are unable to account for a vast proportion of them. However, we do know that over 90% of winners continue to buy tickets even after they have won. And of those winners, 70% of them are convinced they will win again. What motivates the other 30% is unknown!

Here's a little bonus fact for you: Over 10,000 people use the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 every week in the UK. What this means is that if these numbers were to be drawn, a jackpot of 5 million would pay each member just £500.

USA lottery statistics 

Interested to know how many people play the lottery in America? Well, 57% of the American population, 181 million people, buy at least one lottery ticket in a year. Unlike in the UK, American men are more likely than American women to pick up a ticket, especially if they don't live alone, as findings reveal single Americans spend less on the lottery than people with partners or families 

In the United States, 30-64-year-olds are the demographic that purchases the most lottery tickets, while participants aged 50-64 spend the most per week, an average of £5.04. If you're 18-29 or over 65, you are statistically less likely to buy more than one ticket. Speaking of money, if your income is between £30,000 and £50,000, you are in the demographic of Americans who buy tickets for lotto draws the most often.

In the run-up to the mega $1 billion (£839.2 million*) Powerball draw, 1 and a half tickets were sold for every resident of the state of California. The draw was eventually won by Florida resident Gloria MacKenzie, making her the world-record holder for the largest single-ticket lottery jackpot win.

Lottery winner statistics facts 

Now for some winner facts! They say that a man's best friend is a dog, so it's no surprise that over a quarter of a millionaires buy a dog after winning the lottery! Dogs aren't the only thing winners enjoy buying after the lottery, with the average millionaire buying 4.5 cars after falling into that windfall. Talk about a need for speed. 

Another interesting fact about lottery winners is that many of them become broke. But not because of large expenditures on luxurious items for themselves, but actually from their generosity! Hitting the lottery can affect your relationship with your loved ones, and you may see that family and friends may become very interested in your money after hitting the jackpot. This is something all lottery winners need to keep in mind...

Studies have also found that 18% of lottery players changed their political affiliation after winning the lottery. Whilst 45% of people overall chose a more conservative party. Not only do their political beliefs change when they become a lottery winner, but so do their health habits. Research has discovered that roughly 41% of winners start exercising multiple times per week, and a whopping 68% of them stay away from cigarettes!

Last updated: 7th September 2022