National Lottery Day: What would Americans be willing to give up for a lottery jackpot?

Winning the lottery is something most people can only dream of. You may wonder how your life would change for the better and imagine how you would spend the money – but would you change anything beforehand if you were guaranteed to win?

Ahead of National Lottery Day (July 17), Casino Guru USA conducted a survey of 4,000 Americans to find out how much they are willing to sacrifice for a lottery jackpot – from giving up their favorite sports team to ditching their partners.

Key findings:

• One-quarter (25%) of Americans would consider leaving their partner for a lottery win, depending on the prize sum
• 47% of Americans would give up social media for a lottery win regardless of the prize sum – Michigan ranks #1 most willing state at 59%
• NBA fans would stop supporting their favorite team more than any other sport, with 34% claiming they would give them up no matter the winnings
• The NFL has the highest portion of fans across all sports who would give up ever seeing their team win a championship at almost one-third (32%)
• Tennessee ranks #1 as the state most willing to ditch their favorite sports team for a lottery win, with over two-thirds (67%) reporting that they would stop supporting them regardless of the amount of money at stake
• 1 in 8 Kentuckians who are currently in relationships would accept any jackpot to abandon their partners, the #1 highest nationwide

The sports fanbases most willing to make sacrifices for a lottery win

Being a sports fan brings a thrill like no other – highs and lows throughout each season, celebrating wins with other fans on game days, and the pride of wearing your favorite player’s jersey.

While it may seem priceless, the findings prove otherwise – NBA fans would be happy to miss out on all of this more than any other sport, with 34% stating that they would give up supporting their favorite team for a lottery jackpot, regardless of the amount. NFL fans were the most eager to throw it all away forever – over two-thirds (67%) who would at least consider accepting a jackpot, claimed they’d be willing to stop supporting their team permanently for a lottery win.

For many sports fans, watching your favorite team win a championship is an experience you wish to have at least once in your lifetime. But according to the results, NFL fans would be the most willing to accept a lottery jackpot if it meant never seeing their team win the Super Bowl, with almost a third (32%) claiming they would do so, regardless of the prize sum. NHL fans stuck by their team the most, with 11% reporting they would never give up their chance of winning the Stanley Cup for a lottery win, no matter how big the prize is.

Some sports fans sat on the fence – but for the right price, they’d be happy to say goodbye to a championship win. MLS fans had the highest price, with 21% claiming they would require over $100 million to never see their team win the MLS Cup. NFL fans were much more easily swayed, with 47% willing to give up a Super Bowl win for less than $10 million.

Rivalry in sports is just a part of the game, and as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. So, with that said, 30% of NFL fans reported that they would support their favorite team’s rivals in exchange for any lottery jackpot, from attending games to even wearing their merchandise. Fans of the Green Bay Packers, who have a long-standing rivalry with the Chicago Bears, were the most inclined, with 44% saying they would do so for any prize sum.

The states least faithful to their favorite sports teams for a lottery win

Tennessee sports fans are the most prepared to sacrifice ever seeing their favorite teams win a championship with over two-thirds (67%) saying they would do so for any jackpot. Massachusetts follows with 50%, and Georgia is close behind with 41%.

While other fans may not have been as certain, they did report that they would accept never seeing their teams win a championship for under $10 million, with Georgia (63%) and Ohio (63%) tied for the top spot, followed by Colorado (58%).

In some states, you can’t put a price tag on loyalty – Virginia (18%), New Jersey (16%), and California (16%) are the most committed to their teams, claiming they would never stop supporting them, no matter how high the jackpot is.

However, not only are some states happy to stop supporting their own teams, but they’d take it one step further and even support their rivals for any lottery prize sum – and unsurprisingly, Tennessee (47%), Massachusetts (45%), and Georgia (41%) take the top three spots.

The states most willing to make lifestyle changes for a lottery win

Across the U.S., one-quarter (25%) of Americans who are currently in relationships reported that they would consider leaving their partner, depending on the amount of money at stake. And it’s bad news for lovebirds in Kentucky, with 1 in 8 people claiming that they would give up their partner for any lottery jackpot, the highest of all states. Florida had the highest proportion of people who would consider ditching their partner depending on the prize sum at 43%, and 42% of those Floridians would do so for less than $10 million.

Abandoning social media is a no-brainer for some Americans if a lottery win is guaranteed – almost half (47%) would be willing to do a digital detox no matter the jackpot. Michigan tops the list when broken down by states at 59%, followed by Oklahoma and Missouri, both with 53%.

While Christmas is a special holiday for many, others would be happy to miss out on the festive celebrations for a life-changing jackpot, with 53% of Americans reporting they would give it up permanently. Virginia had the highest proportion at almost three-quarters (71%), with Ohio (70%) and Kentucky (67%) not far behind.

Thanksgiving and its turkey dinner with all the trimmings is a slightly less difficult holiday for Americans give up permanently if a lottery win is promised, with almost two-thirds (63%) saying they would do so for any jackpot. This time, Tennessee takes the top spot with 89%, while Virginia makes yet another appearance at the top end of the ranking with 77%, and Georgia sits in third at 73%.

Beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas, Black Friday emerged as the holiday Americans would be most willing to give up with over a third (34%) ranking it first – Wisconsin would be the happiest to never celebrate it again more than any other holiday at 53%. On the flip side, spooky season would be the hardest to cut ties with, with more than one-quarter (26%) ranking Halloween last as the holiday they’d be least willing to say goodbye to, and Washington had the highest proportion at 42%.

Conclusion

While winning the lottery is an unlikely – but not impossible – event, the results suggest almost everyone has a price when it comes to what they’d be willing to give up, whether that’s the commitment to their favorite sports team or special holidays spent with loved ones.

Methodology

In July 2026, Casino Guru USA conducted a study of 4,000 Americans to find out what they’d be willing to give up in exchange for a lottery jackpot, including their favorite sports team, life partner, and special holidays. Participants were asked how long they would be willing to give each one up and the minimum jackpot they’d accept to do so. Responses were categorized by sport, team, and state for the analysis.

Sports teams and states with less than 15 respondents, as well as states where the lottery is illegal, were excluded from the refined analysis.

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