Lottery Sales per Adult, by Income Level: Poorer citizns spend a staggering amount on lottery tickets
from The Economist; slow reveal by Jenna Laib
(Slide Deck includes notes and questions to elicit discourse)
Type of Graph: scatterplot, line graph
Visualization Source: The Economist/Graphic Detail. “The economics of American lotteries: Our analysis shows poorer citizens spend a staggering amount on tickets.” The Economist, April 2, 2024.
Data Source: State lottery commissions, Census Bureau, The Economist
Potential Math Content: scatterplot, line of best fit, comparing data sets, percentages, rates
Potential Content Connections: lotteries, economics, wealth gap, income inequality
Paired Texts:
- Pomeroy, Ross. “Why do poor Americans spend so much on the lottery? If a person stands little chance of ever being wealthy, perhaps playing the lottery is a rational decision.” The Big Think: May 11, 2023.
- The Economist/Graphic Detail. “The economics of American lotteries: Our analysis shows poorer citizens spend a staggering amount on tickets.” The Economist, April 2, 2024.
