Bloomberg News ranked U.S. states by what it called “The Sucker Index” using 2010 data from the US Census and annual reports from state lottery commissions. The total dollar amount of prizes awarded was subtracted from ticket sales, and then the difference was divided by the total personal income of each state’s residents. A higher resulting number indicates a greater propensity for “suckerdom.” Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan and South Carolina earned Top Five status.
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February 24, 2026
Despite a mountain of evidence, states continue to partner with powerful gambling corporations to promote ever more extreme forms of