6-Max vs 9-Max SNGs
Choosing between 6-max vs. 9-max SNGs (Sit & Go) isn’t just about the number of seats. Each runs at its
Background
Which US states are truly living large? Our analysts examined a range of data points including billionaire counts, private jet traffic, poker earnings, casino spend, luxury car share, yacht ownership, and the number of $1M+ home cities. Using this, we created the High Roller Index to reveal which states are rolling in riches. Here’s how they stack up.
Key Findings:
- California (#1) is home to 124 billionaires, more than 12 times the national average of 10.3.
- Nevada (#4) leads the country in casino spending, with an average of $6,188.66 spent per person.
- Life near Lake Superior helps push Minnesota (#8) to the top for boat and yacht ownership. The state records 143.5 per 1,000 residents, exactly 100 more than the national average.
- Texas (#5) is home to the busiest private jet scene in the country, with 320,888 departures recorded annually.
Top 10 States Where Big Money Leads to Bigger Spending
From booming billionaire populations to record-breaking private jet traffic, these states stand out for how income translates into lifestyle. Residents don’t just earn big; they spend big, on luxury cars, exclusive casinos, high-end real estate, and everything in between. Here are the top 10 high roller US states, where wealth is not only present, but unmistakably on display.
#10 Michigan
High Roller Index Score: 19.99/100
Coming in tenth, Michigan isn’t always top of mind when it comes to luxury, but a closer look reveals a state where quiet wealth meets steady indulgence across casinos, real estate, and travel. The state has:
- 11 residents worth over $1 billion
- 2 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $451.85 spent on average per person at casinos
- 64,873 private jet departures recorded in the state per year
- 15.2% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 77.99 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 2 cities where the average home price exceeds $1 million
#9 Georgia
High Roller Index Score: 20.48/100
Even without a single dollar spent at casinos, Georgia makes its mark through sky-high private jet traffic and a solid billionaire presence. From luxury vehicles to high-stakes poker earnings, here’s what’s driving Georgia’s score:
- 9 residents worth over $1 billion
- 3 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $0 spent on average per person at casinos
- 116,049 private jet departures recorded per year
- 22.1% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 30.8 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 1 city with average home prices over $1 million
#8 Minnesota
High Roller Index Score: 21.87/100
Minnesota ranks eighth. While it lacks casino spend and high-profile poker pros, the state leads the nation in boats and yachts per capita. For many Minnesotans, high-end living happens on the water:
- 5 residents worth over $1 billion
- 0 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $0 spent on average per person at casinos
- 45,064 private jet departures recorded per year
- 13.9% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 143.5 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 7 cities with average home prices over $1 million
#7 Massachusetts
High Roller Index Score: 22.56/100
Massachusetts takes seventh place thanks to a concentrated mix of wealth and luxury consumption. The state shows strong representation across all categories, from its billionaire count to casino spend, offering a clear picture of upscale living across its cities and suburbs:
- 10 residents worth over $1 billion
- 4 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $294.66 spent on average per person at casinos
- 63,286 private jet departures recorded per year
- 23.2% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 18.6 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 44 cities with average home prices over $1 million
#6 New Jersey
High Roller Index Score: 29.76/100
New Jersey might not always top luxury lists, but it punches above its weight when it comes to spending. The state is one of the biggest casino players in the country and boasts a remarkably high share of luxury cars on the road. Its high-roller footprint comes into sharper focus when you look at the numbers:
- 8 residents worth over $1 billion
- 4 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $793.66 spent on average per person at casinos
- 105,659 private jet departures recorded per year
- 30.6% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 14.3 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 60 cities with average home prices over $1 million
#5 Texas
High Roller Index Score: 32.20/100
Largely thanks to its sky-high number of billionaires and private jet traffic, Texas cracks the top five. Despite having no casino spend, the Lone Star State makes a big impression through sheer scale and luxury living.
- 48 residents worth over $1 billion
- 4 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $0 spent on average per person at casinos
- 320,888 private jet departures recorded per year
- 19.6% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 19.8 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 17 cities with average home prices over $1 million
#4 Nevada
High Roller Index Score: 36.38/100
Nevada lands at number four, thanks in large part to one staggering stat: an average casino spend of over $6,000 per capita. Combine that with the worlds most iconic poker scene and 8 billionaire residents, and the state more than earns its high-roller status.
- 8 residents worth over $1 billion
- 9 professional poker players with earnings over $10M
- $6,188.66 spent on average per person at casinos
- 60,262 private jet departures recorded per year
- 20% of all cars registered are luxury brands
- 13.4 boats or yachts owned per 1,000 residents
- 4 cities with average home prices over $1 million
#3 Florida 🥉🤑
High Roller Index Score: 42.49/100
With 44 billionaires, nearly 390,000 private jet departures a year, and one of the highest yacht ownership rates in the top 10, the Sunshine State is a hotspot for high-end living. Casino spending is low at $37.90 per capita, but the state makes up for it with a high share of luxury vehicles (24%!), 44 yachts owned per 1000 people, and 30 cities where the average home price exceeds $1 million. From the skies to the coastline, it’s clear: money moves in Florida.
#2 New York 🥈🤑
High Roller Index Score: 44.38/100
New York comes in second, powered by some of the most eye-popping wealth stats in the country. The state is home to 93 billionaires and 13 poker players with career earnings over $10 million. And it’s not only the pros getting in on the action. Average casino spending here comes in at $302.34 per capita. Meanwhile, 21.5 boats or yachts per 1,000 residents, 94,418 private jet flights annually, and a 21% share of luxury cars on the road paint a picture of everyday extravagance across air, land, and sea.
#1 California 🥇🤑
High Roller Index Score: 59.69/100
Despite an average casino spend of $0, California still ranks first overall thanks to its extraordinary wealth. The state is home to 124 billionaires and 6 poker players with career earnings over $10 million. That kind of money shows up across how people move: 296,990 private jet flights take off annually, 27.9% of vehicles on the road are luxury models, and there are 16.3 boats or yachts for every 1,000 residents. With 218 cities where the typical home costs over $1 million, California easily earns the highest score on the High Roller Index.
Americas Most Frugal States
New Mexico (#50), West Virginia (#49), and Wyoming (#48) sit at the bottom of the High Roller States, each standing out for what they lack. New Mexico has no billionaires, no high-earning poker players, and just 34,748 private jet flights annually. West Virginia has one billionaire and one top poker pro, but zero cities where the average home costs over $1 million. Wyoming, despite having nine billionaires, has no high-earning poker players and only modest signs of luxury elsewhere. In these states, big spending is notably scarce.
Methodology
We created a composite index by collecting publicly available state-level data across seven indicators related to wealth, luxury, and high-end lifestyle. Each metric was normalized and equally weighted to produce a final score out of 100. Here's what we measured:
Factors & Sources
- Number of Billionaires - Data sourced from World Population Review on the number of billionaires residing in each U.S. state.
- Poker Players with Earnings Over $10M - We used The Hendon Mob's database to count how many poker players from each state have earned over $10 million in live tournament winnings.
- Casino Spend per Capita - State gambling revenue figures were taken from the American Gaming Association and divided by each state’s population to calculate average casino spend per person.
- Number of Private Jet Flights in State - Annual private jet departures by state were sourced from Private Jet Card Comparisons’ report on 2022 flight activity.
- Luxury Vehicle Share (%) - We used iSeeCars data showing the percentage of registered vehicles in each state that are classified as luxury models.
- Boats and Yachts per 1,000 Residents - Figures from SI Yachts provided the number of boats and yachts per 1,000 people in each state.
- Number of Cities with a Typical Home Costing $1M or More - We used Visual Capitalist’s analysis of Zillow data to count how many cities in each state have a typical home value (in the 35th to 65th percentile range) of $1 million or more
Full Data for The States That Spend the Most Money
| State | # of Billionaires | Poker players with earnings over 10M | Casino spend per capita | Number of Private Jet Flights in State | % Share of Luxury cars | Boats and Yachts per 1,000 people | Number of Cities with a typical home costing $1M | Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 124 | 6 | 0.00 | 296,990 | 27.9% | 16.3 | 218 | 59.69 |
| New York | 93 | 13 | 302.34 | 94,418 | 21.0% | 21.5 | 76 | 44.38 |
| Florida | 44 | 6 | 37.90 | 389,482 | 24.0% | 44.6 | 30 | 42.49 |
| Nevada | 8 | 9 | 6188.66 | 60,262 | 20.0% | 13.4 | 4 | 36.38 |
| Texas | 48 | 4 | 0.00 | 320,888 | 19.6% | 19.8 | 17 | 32.19 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 4 | 793.66 | 105,659 | 30.6% | 14.4 | 60 | 29.76 |
| Massachusetts | 10 | 4 | 294.66 | 63,286 | 23.2% | 18.6 | 44 | 22.56 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 45,064 | 13.9% | 143.6 | 7 | 21.87 |
| Georgia | 9 | 3 | 0.00 | 116,049 | 22.1% | 30.8 | 1 | 20.48 |
| Michigan | 11 | 2 | 451.85 | 64,873 | 15.2% | 78.0 | 2 | 19.98 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 64,041 | 16.1% | 108.7 | 6 | 19.56 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 1 | 285.30 | 46,022 | 10.9% | 105.3 | 2 | 18.08 |
| Colorado | 10 | 2 | 317.45 | 118,565 | 18.3% | 16.3 | 22 | 18.06 |
| Maryland | 8 | 2 | 518.90 | 31,644 | 22.4% | 27.5 | 11 | 17.79 |
| Illinois | 17 | 1 | 256.38 | 80,423 | 22.3% | 16.9 | 8 | 17.56 |
| Ohio | 6 | 3 | 360.50 | 75,951 | 14.5% | 50.3 | 2 | 17.39 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 3 | 567.54 | 66,250 | 17.4% | 23.2 | 2 | 16.70 |
| Connecticut | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 15,859 | 28.3% | 24.1 | 6 | 16.56 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 1 | 0.00 | 98,516 | 18.3% | 35.5 | 5 | 15.59 |
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 618.35 | 5,410 | 21.4% | 53.2 | 2 | 15.50 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 0 | 769.07 | 43,119 | 15.3% | 68.2 | 0 | 15.44 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 0 | 793.07 | 6,147 | 23.6% | 35.0 | 2 | 15.34 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 69.82 | 12,710 | 17.8% | 73.5 | 3 | 14.84 |
| Washington | 13 | 0 | 410.39 | 43,919 | 16.9% | 33.0 | 23 | 14.70 |
| Oregon | 2 | 2 | 18.91 | 33,500 | 18.9% | 38.9 | 1 | 14.63 |
| Virginia | 5 | 1 | 163.16 | 45,062 | 19.2% | 26.7 | 9 | 14.03 |
| Arizona | 9 | 0 | 95.31 | 84,342 | 19.8% | 18.1 | 4 | 13.79 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 0 | 82.51 | 87,221 | 15.5% | 35.6 | 3 | 13.39 |
| Alabama | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 51,044 | 14.5% | 49.4 | 0 | 12.51 |
| Missouri | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 59,696 | 14.3% | 46.8 | 6 | 12.43 |
| Arkansas | 5 | 0 | 290.23 | 38,565 | 11.8% | 61.6 | 0 | 11.98 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 1 | 0.00 | 37,523 | 12.9% | 50.3 | 0 | 11.79 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 | 152.99 | 15,008 | 10.5% | 79.8 | 1 | 11.61 |
| Indiana | 4 | 1 | 535.08 | 49,411 | 13.4% | 29.8 | 0 | 11.46 |
| Iowa | 1 | 0 | 785.70 | 25,978 | 9.2% | 65.8 | 0 | 11.21 |
| Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 1098.64 | 27,202 | 11.1% | 43.3 | 0 | 10.53 |
| North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 406.88 | 17,028 | 6.7% | 74.2 | 0 | 9.39 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 24,585 | 17.3% | 8.5 | 22 | 9.32 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 0 | 211.69 | 27,427 | 7.5% | 68.3 | 0 | 9.26 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 | 261.90 | 42,033 | 13.3% | 28.8 | 1 | 9.13 |
| Idaho | 3 | 1 | 0.00 | 33,500 | 8.3% | 49.1 | 4 | 9.00 |
| Alaska | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 40,707 | 7.6% | 65.5 | 0 | 8.90 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 0 | 59.48 | 32,773 | 11.6% | 40.3 | 0 | 8.53 |
| Utah | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 41,980 | 13.2% | 21.4 | 9 | 8.21 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 0 | 31.95 | 28,387 | 12.1% | 34.8 | 0 | 7.88 |
| Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5,096 | 10.5% | 41.4 | 0 | 6.64 |
| Montana | 4 | 0 | 9.42 | 34,496 | 5.4% | 47.2 | 4 | 6.27 |
| Wyoming | 9 | 0 | 38.04 | 24,102 | 4.8% | 45.1 | 4 | 5.97 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 1 | 568.36 | 11,455 | 7.4% | 17.3 | 0 | 5.13 |
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 162.89 | 34,748 | 10.1% | 14.6 | 0 | 5.06 |
From the Top Earners to the Tightest Spenders
From California’s 124 billionaires to New Mexico’s zero, the difference in how states earn and spend is stark. Some put their money in the air, on the water, or at the tables. Others keep things closer to the ground. Whether your state lives large or plays it safe, the numbers tell their own story.
Surprised by where your state landed? We want to hear it. Use #HighRollerStates on X and YouTube to weigh in.
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