Seattle Culture
Essentials: Don’t Bet On It
A cautious attitude toward the state lottery
By Seattle Mag October 7, 2024

The One
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This article originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Feeling lucky? Ever play the lottery? Probably not.
State residents spend on average only $129 annually on lottery tickets, the eighth-lowest amount in the United States. Those who do play win, on average, just $33, according to lottery news publication Lottery Geeks.
Nonetheless, the lottery brought in slightly more than $1 billion last year, an all-time high. The money supports early childhood education, economic development, and vocational programs.