Massachusetts residents shelled out the most per capita during 2015 on their state’s lottery: $734.85. Rhode Island residents were next at $513.75. Of states with lotteries, North Dakotans spent the least: $34.09.
Each state has a lottery except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Ohio ranked 14th on the list, sandwiched between Michigan, which averaged slightly more spending per capita, and Illinois.
LendEDU, an online marketplace for student loan origination and refinancing, arrived at the results through United States Census Bureau population statistics and preliminary state government finance data for 2015. The group calculated Americans spent altogether about $66.8 billion playing state lotteries during 2015. Ohioans spent about $2.7 billion according to the group’s study.
Here are a few area winners of recent large Ohio Lottery jackpots and a cautionary tale from an local man who won big in 1999:
Nimmi Kumar of West Chester won $197,000 in the Rolling Cash 5 game after matching all five numbers drawn April 24, according to the Ohio Lottery. After federal and state taxes, Kumar received $139,870. She purchased the winning ticket from Ameristop Food Mart on Princeton Glendale Road in West Chester.
A Warren County resident, Regina Taulbee of South Lebanon, won $300,000 top prize in the April Ohio Lottery’s Special Edition Cashword. She received $213,000 after taxes. She purchased the instantly-winning ticket in Mason at the Kwik Mart on Main Street.
Last July, James Riddle of Troy won $3 million in the Ohio Lottery, picking all five numbers. He bought the ticket at the Kroger in Vandalia and received $2.13 million after deduction of state and federal taxes, according to lottery officials. Riddle’s jackpot would have ballooned to $15 million, but he missed the Megaball number.
Some area people won some respectable sums playing Ohio Lottery instant games during 2016. According to the lottery, John Lickert of Centerville won $500,000 last September as the top prize drawing winner with the instant game Lucky Playbook. Lickert purchased his winning ticket at Giant 590, in Centerville. Cole Barker of Springfield won $100,000 in March 2016’s 20X the Money top prize drawing.
In 2015, Tracy Alldaffer of Urbana won $5,000,000 in the Ohio Lottery’s Super Millions Spectacular top prize drawing. Twenty-eight entries qualified for the drawing that was held November 4, 2015. Alldaffer chose the cash option and received $1,775,000.00 after mandatory federal and state taxes totaling 29 percent.
D.J. Gels, who won $24 million in Ohio's Super Lotto in 1999, gave some advice for jackpot winners last year. The one-time maintenance worker said he planned his retirement carefully after winning. He figured taking the 26 annual payments would give him about $6 million more in the long run. Gels advised future lottery winners to keep a low profile to avoid wealth managers and investment advisers offering to tell them how to manage their money.
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