TLDR
- A West Virginia University PhD researcher believes video lottery revenue may rise on days Social Security benefits are paid.
- Matt Mullis is studying daily machine-level revenue data from 2024 and 2025.
- The research focuses on “Hot Spots,” small venues with a few slot-like video lottery machines.
- About 71 million Americans receive monthly Social Security benefits.
- A 2023 study found adults 65 and older face lower gambling-problem risks and often gamble to relax.
A doctoral researcher at West Virginia University believes gambling activity in the state may rise when seniors receive their monthly Social Security benefits. The work is still underway.
Matt Mullis is a fourth-year PhD candidate in economics at the school. He works with the WVU Center for Gaming Research and Development.
During his studies, Mullis found what he believes is evidence linking Social Security payment dates to more gambling. He says demand for gambling rises when recipients collect their monthly deposits.
Data From Video Lottery Machines
The research relies on daily revenue data from West Virginia video lottery terminals. The data covers 2024 and 2025 and tracks each machine on its own.
“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.
Mullis says machines at so-called “Hot Spots” are in high demand on payment days. Hot Spots are restaurants, bars, lounges, laundromats and social clubs that hold a few slot-like video lottery machines.
West Virginia has a large legal gambling industry. It includes a state-run lottery, land-based casinos and racinos, charitable gaming, and retail and online sports betting.
The Social Security Administration pays benefits on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of each month. The date depends on the recipient’s birthday.
People born between the 1st and 10th of the month are paid on the second Wednesday. Those born between the 11th and 20th are paid on the third Wednesday, and those born after the 20th are paid on the fourth.
This schedule gives researchers set dates to compare against daily gambling revenue.
How Seniors Gamble
About 71 million Americans receive monthly Social Security benefits. The program pays retired workers, people with disabilities, and the families of workers who have died.
Seniors are more likely than younger people to take part in some form of gambling. However, research suggests people 65 and older face a lower risk of developing gambling problems.
A 2023 study from the New York Council on Problem Gambling, titled “Gambling and Aging,” looked at this group. It found that seniors have built mental and behavioral habits that help keep gambling under control.
“Recreational gambling among older adults is associated with positive outcomes in terms of cognitive stimulation, socialization, health, and well-being,” the study concluded.
The same research found that more than seven in 10 people aged 65 and older said they gamble to relax, pass the time and relieve boredom.
Mullis is still analyzing the machine-level data from 2024 and 2025. His early findings were reported by WVU Magazine and covered by Casino.org on October 13, 2026.
