United States

In the United States, revenues generated by lotteries are often used for specific purposes, such as education, economic development, the preservation of artistic heritage, transport and assistance for the elderly. Many States have become increasingly dependent on their lotteries, since revenues from ticket sales are often significant sources of resources for these programs. In the United States (according to La Fleur’s World Lottery Almanac 2009) around 60% of the gross revenues of an online lottery is allocated to the public in the form of prizes. Approximately 33% is used by the State to support specific public interest programs, or is contributed to government coffers. The rest is usually used to finance lottery management, including advertising costs, sales outlets commissions and service charges for operators and suppliers.