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

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Year: 2012
Volume: 4
Issue: 4
Pages: 199-229

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

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)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejpol:v:4:y:2012:i:4:p:199-229
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25