Commercial Gaming

Academic Study Links Social Security Payment Dates to Spikes in Gambling

Posted on: October 13, 2026, 12:54h.

Last updated on: October 13, 2026, 12:54h.

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Devin O'Connor Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014...
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Key Points

A West Virginia University doctoral researcher believes daily video lottery revenue may rise when Social Security recipients receive benefits
Matt Mullis is analyzing machine-level revenue data from 2024 and 2025 to investigate a possible link between benefit payment dates and gambling
Research suggests adults 65 and older often gamble for relaxation and socialization, with seniors generally facing lower gambling-problem risks

A doctoral student researcher at West Virginia University believes there could be a correlation between gambling activity and when seniors receive their monthly Social Security benefits.

Social Security gambling link West Virginia — A stock illustration shows an explanation of benefits from the Social Security Administration, a check from the United States Treasury, and a Social Security card. A researcher at the University of West Virginia has found a link between gambling activity and Social Security allocations. (Image: Shutterstock)

Matt Mullis is a 4th-year PhD candidate in economics at West Virginia University, where he works with the WVU Center for Gaming Research and Development. During his studies, Mullis came across what he believes to be evidence linking Social Security payments to increased gambling.

West Virginia is home to an extensive legal gambling industry, with a state-run lottery, land-based casinos and racinos, charitable gaming, and retail and online sports betting.

West Virginia is also home to so-called “Hot Spots,” restaurants, bars, lounges, laundromats, and social clubs that house a few slot-like video lottery machines.

Mullis says when Social Security recipients collect their monthly deposit, demand for gambling rises.

Social Security Fueling Gambling?

Mullis says Hot Spot gaming machines are in high demand on days when Social Security payments hit bank accounts.

The Social Security Administration issues payments on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month based on birth dates: those born between the 1st and 10th receive funds on the second Wednesday, those born between the 11th and 20th on the third, and those born after the 20th on the fourth Wednesday.

One of the first pieces of data the WVU Center for Gaming Research and Development got from the state were daily machine-level revenues from West Virginia video lottery terminals between 2024 and 2025. If you pointed out a machine in the state, we could tell you exactly how much money that machine got on a certain day,” Mullis told WVU Magazine.

There are approximately 71 million Americans who receive monthly Social Security benefits. The program pays monthly benefits to retired workers, people with disabilities, and the families of workers who have died.

Seniors and Gambling

While seniors are more likely to participate in some form of gambling than younger generations, research suggests gamblers aged 65 and up are at less risk of developing gambling problems.

A 2023 study from the New York Council on Problem Gambling titled “Gambling and Aging” concluded that seniors have developed cognitive and behavioral strategies that prevent them from falling prey to a gambling habit.

“Recreational gambling among older adults is associated with positive outcomes in terms of cognitive stimulation, socialization, health, and well-being,” the study concluded.

Of people aged 65 and older, more than seven in 10 said they gambled to relax, pass the time, and relieve boredom.