Lottery ticket counter in your own small shop

Everyday shoppers who buy tickets on impulse or as a regular habit, often while buying coffee, snacks, fuel or a newspaper. The state lottery pays you commission.

The state lottery pays commission on ticket sales and sometimes bonuses on winning tickets sold. The commission is small per ticket, so the real gain is steady foot traffic that also buys your other products. The monthly revenue range is the extra income the lottery counter brings: your lottery commission plus the added sales of other products to lottery customers. It is not the shop's whole turnover, and it does not include the ticket sales money itself, which is owed to the lottery.

• Friendly, patient customer service
• Careful cash handling and daily balancing
• Checking ID and following age rules

• Each state lottery sets its own eligibility rules, fees, background checks and any minimum sales of other goods, so check your state's requirements first
• Many states ask for a bond, deposit or electronic funds transfer so ticket sales money is available to the lottery on a set schedule, check the details
• Ticket sales money is usually owed to the lottery, so keep it separate from your other takings
• Strict rules on selling to under-age customers, with penalties or loss of your license if broken, check your state's rules
• Commission alone is unlikely to cover rent and wages, so check the numbers against your shop's other sales
• If you do not yet have a shop, renting or buying one adds costs well beyond the startup range shown here
• General liability insurance and a plan for security, since you will hold cash and tickets

Startup costs are typically around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on counter fit-out, security, staff training, initial stock and any bond or deposit. This does not cover buying or leasing the shop, which adds costs beyond this range.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your shop and customer traffic. Commission alone is unlikely to cover rent and wages, so check the numbers against your shop's other sales. Plan for at least 40 hours a week.

Check your state lottery's eligibility rules, fees, background checks and any minimum sales of other goods. Also check bond, deposit or electronic funds transfer requirements, strict under-age sales rules, and keep ticket sales money separate from your other takings.