Massachusetts Second In Lottery 'Sucker Index'

BOSTON (CBS) – Who are the biggest "suckers" in the nation when it comes to buying lottery tickets?

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports.

According to Bloomberg Rankings, it's Georgia, followed by Massachusetts.

Bloomberg says it created its "Sucker Index" with 2010 data from the U.S. Census and annual reports from state lottery commissions.

So how do they calculate it?

"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."

According to the report, Massachusetts residents spent more than triple the national average in trying their luck with the lottery.

Adults here spend $860.70 a year buying tickets.

But, Massachusetts players were also the biggest lottery winners, getting back almost 72 cents on the dollar, according to the report.

Paul Sternburg, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Thursday he thought the report was "a little misleading."

"We pay out the most money. Our return to cities and towns is going to be over $900 million this year," Sternburg said.

"2.5 people come in each week and we make them millionaires."