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Spatial Competition and Cross-Border Shopping: Evidence from State Lotteries

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Knight
  • Nathan Schiff

Abstract

This paper investigates competition between jurisdictions in the context of cross-border shopping for state lottery tickets. Our theoretical model, in which consumers consider both travel costs and lottery payoffs, predicts that per-resident sales should be more responsive to prices in small states with densely populated borders. Using weekly sales data from US lotteries and drawing identification from the rollover feature of jackpots, we estimate this responsiveness and find large effects that vary significantly across states. Using these estimates, we show that competitive pressures from neighboring states may lead to substantially lower optimal prices. (JEL H27, H71, H73, R51)

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Knight & Nathan Schiff, 2012. "Spatial Competition and Cross-Border Shopping: Evidence from State Lotteries," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 199-229, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:4:y:2012:i:4:p:199-229
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.4.4.199
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    Cited by:

    1. Cohen, Alex & Keiser, David A., 2017. "The effectiveness of incomplete and overlapping pollution regulation: Evidence from bans on phosphate in automatic dishwasher detergent," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 53-74.
    2. Frederic Kluser, 2024. "Cross-Border Shopping: Evidence from Household Transaction Records," Diskussionsschriften credresearchpaper42, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft - CRED.
    3. Brian Knight, 2013. "State Gun Policy and Cross-State Externalities: Evidence from Crime Gun Tracing," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 200-229, November.
    4. Lee, Hanbin & Sexton, Richard J. & Sumner, Daniel A., 2021. "Economics of Mandates on Farm Practices: Lessons from California’s Proposition 12 Regulations on Pork Sold in California," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313920, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Luke P. Rodgers, 2020. "Don’t Tax My Dreams: The Lottery Sales Response to Gambling Tax Changes," Public Finance Review, , vol. 48(5), pages 627-649, September.
    6. Orrin David Gulley, 2018. "The optimal structure of lotto games," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 156-161.
    7. Robin Maximilian Stetzka & Stefan Winter, 2023. "How rational is gambling?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1432-1488, September.
    8. Kathryn L. Combs & John A. Spry, 2019. "The Effects Of Lotto Game Changes And Large Jackpots On Income Elasticities And Sales," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(2), pages 261-273, April.
    9. Andrés Leal & Julio López-Laborda & Fernando Rodrigo, 2014. "The Inside and Outside Revenue Impact of Regional Gambling Taxes in Spain," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 79-97, March.
    10. Marcelo Castro & Enlinson Mattos, 2021. "Measuring Fiscal Spillovers in Brazilian Municipalities," Public Finance Review, , vol. 49(2), pages 221-261, March.
    11. Agrawal, David R. & Trandel, Gregory A., 2019. "Dynamics of policy adoption with state dependence," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    12. Frédéric Kluser, 2025. "Cross-border shopping: evidence from household transaction records," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 161(1), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Head, Keith & , & Tappata, Mariano, 2012. "Consumer Arbitrage Across a Porous Border," CEPR Discussion Papers 8730, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Agrawal, David R., 2014. "LOST in America: Evidence on local sales taxes from national panel data," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 147-163.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H27 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Other Sources of Revenue
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

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    This item is featured on the following reading lists, Wikipedia, or ReplicationWiki pages:
    1. Spatial Competition and Cross-Border Shopping- Evidence from State Lotteries (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2012) in ReplicationWiki

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