Massachusetts Lottery Prizes Going to Out-of-State Winners

Do you never seem to have any luck when you play Massachusetts Lottery games? Do you wonder sometimes who is winning all of the prize money the Massachusetts Lottery Commission pays out each year?

The Lottery website says, "Since selling its first ticket in March 1972, the Massachusetts State Lottery has generated over $131 billion in revenues, awarded over $92 billion in prizes returned over $28 billion in net profit to the Commonwealth for unrestricted local aid available to cities and towns, and paid over $7.5 billion in commissions and bonuses to its statewide network of retailers."

I don't think I've ever won more than $5 at a time from the Lottery. Many folks I talk to say it's too difficult to win money – but someone is winning.

Maybe it's about the location.

State House News Service reported, "While the Bay State's biggest cities unsurprisingly produce the highest volume of lottery sales, communities along the state line punch above their weight once you adjust for population."

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Communities near the New Hampshire border sell Massachusetts Lottery products to New Hampshire residents. SHNS stated, "No municipality sold more Lottery products per capita in 2022 than Salisbury, which abuts the popular New Hampshire beach town of Seabrook."

"Several other Merrimack Valley border communities did above-average Lotto business," according to SHNS, which said, "Of the 20 stores with the most sales, about half were basically a stone's throw from another state."

Part of the reason for that could be gamblers in those states like the Massachusetts Lottery games better than those offered in their states.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu reminds New Hampshire residents they pay no taxes on prize money won at home.

Sununu's advertising and social media campaign tells New Hampshire residents, "Unlike other states, we've kept that Tax Shark at bay here in the Granite State – so save yourself millions and remember to purchase and play here in the 603!"