How Much Money Is Donated to Charity from the Change on TITOs?

When we all cash in our tickets at the ticket redemption machine, we're asked if we want to donate the change. How much money is donated to various charities in a year?

Exact national totals for charitable donations from leftover change from slot cashout tickets aren't publicly available. However, several casinos have reported their contributions through these programs. So we can extrapolate, at least a little, from what we know.

For example, Atlantis in Reno has donated more than $300,000 since 2021, upwards of $50,000 per year or around $140 per day. We know that Monarch, Atlantis' mother company, donates to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Honor Flight Nevada, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.

The Caesars Makes Change program was officially launched at one casino in May 2022 and had donated $3.1 million as of August 2024, around $1.5 million per year; the program is now collecting cashout coins from 40 of its casinos nationwide. That's roughly $4,100 per day. The largest contribution was $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, but they also donate to the International Center for Responsible Gaming, Meals on Wheels America, the National Park Trust, Public Education Foundation, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, and several other charities.

Another number Caesars has made public is from Harrah’s Southern California. In less than a year, Caesars Makes Change has raised right around $100,000 through more than 250,000 donations. That means the average amount of change collected per tickets is 40 cents and upwards of 650 donations are made daily for $260 per.

Within the first six months of implementing its change-donation program in 2019, the Cosmopolitan collected over $26,000. The Nevada Independent reported that the donations averaged 21 cents. Cosmo was the first Las Vegas Strip resort to implement the EveriCares Giving Module in 2019 (Everi was a games producer and fintech provider that merged with IGT.)

Other figures we found include Ocean casino in Atlantic City's Change for Change campaign, to which guests have contributed up to $90,000 in past years to support local charities; the Give for Change program sponsored by the Oxford casino in Maine in 2024 raised over $45,000; and the Little River Casino in Manistee, Michigan, has distributed more than $70,000 to local charities since its inception in 2021.

These examples illustrate that the micro donations from casino players can add up and make an impact on charitable organizations. Take these numbers and multiply times a good portion of the 500 or so commercial casinos in the U.S. and annual donations can easily be in the millions of dollars.

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Comments

Bob May-21-2025

Oxford Casino

a couple of their TITO machines dispense change, and a couple don't. they have a big hopper that you can donate your tickets into, and every week they offer "Give 5 get 10" where you donate $5 to the rotating local charity, and they load $10 of free play on your card!  
I've thought for years that having a Hopper for change next to the TITO Machines for local charities would be a win/win. wandering around Vegas for an evening playing slots and cashing out tickets you could easily get weighed down with Quarters, Nickles and Pennies! I'd happily dump the loose change in for a charity, and it would keep the coinage in house to reload the machines , I guess now we just do it electronically

O2bnVegas May-21-2025

actually a good thing

I recall some negative comments on QoD or Forum, folks (me too) irritated about the 'new' loose change systems at casino ATMs.  I hate the few seconds waiting for that little ticket, only to pass it off to another player upon exiting the casino.  ACTUALLY, if so compelled, I now prefer to go ahead and designate one of the charities, rather than tap my foot waiting for the loose change ticket, just to hand it to (usually) a stranger who will gamble it away.  Good to know all that very small change can add up and go to good causes.

Candy

Toni Armstrong Jr. May-21-2025

Spare change adds up

Thanks so much for the research on this. I will feel so much better about letting go of spare change in casinos that do this. If you ever get a chance to find out about downtown casinos, I’d be interested in QoD revisiting this question.

Randall Ward May-21-2025

tito charity

good for them.

Gene Brown May-21-2025

Change of mind and heart!

In the past I passed up the opportunity to trust big casino executives to do the right thing with the change leftover from redeemed tickets. I usually keep the tickets which value is less than a dollar and proceed to the cashier with pocket coins to round out a dollar amount. After reading this information, I have a change of heart and mind about making donations through TITO process. Thank you, LVA, for sharing this information.
GAB

David Miller May-21-2025

Not For Free

   One would have to be foolish to believe that the casinos give 100% of the donated money to charities - they do nothing for free. They most certainly take a percentage off of the top, claiming it is for "expenses". Because "Exact national totals for charitable donations from leftover change from slot cash out tickets aren't publicly available." - there is no way to verify the validity of what is being said. While the concept is admirable, the handling of the funds -without being verifiable- is questionable. Donate if you wish -it is temporally your money- but just be aware that without verification your donation may not be what you are told it is. I am a firm believer that charity begins at home and not in some bean counters take home paycheck.

O2bnVegas May-21-2025

Charity begins with "us"

Few if any registered 'charities', whether church, college, Salvation Army, St. Jude, Shriners, Wounded Warriors, zillions of organizations, who do not have administrative expenses.  It is just a fact of life, otherwise the charity couldn't exist and the recipients would go without. That info is available to the public if one wants to know and decide who to give to.  The big casinos take in goo gobs of money, so it isn't a bad thing that some of it goes for philanthropy.  Anyone fortunate enough that they can gamble at a casino for entertainment shouldn't begrudge a $0.40 donation to one of the casino's designated recipients.  JMHO.

Candy

David Miller May-21-2025

Do registered charities have administrative expenses?

Yes, registered charities typically have administrative expenses, also known as overhead or indirect costs. These are necessary to support the charity's operations and ensure it can effectively deliver its mission. Examples of administrative expenses include salaries, rent, utilities, and legal fees.  Information readily available on Google

Norman Braverman May-21-2025

TITO Charity

Yes, the casino incurs some expense in handling the money going to the charities.  But do they get to deduct the donated funds, which have been provided by the players, on their income tax filings?

Hoppy May-21-2025

Re: Braverman

How could you think of such a thing!

Llew May-22-2025

Donations

Of course, the casinos get big tax breaks based on “their” donations. I will take my small deductions from the donations I make to the charities of my choice. My smaller donations might not be as “showy” as the big ones coming from casinos.  So be it. 

Wouldn’t it be great if casinos had to match the money from the TITO donations. Never gonna happen but….:

Question of the Day - 21 May 2025

Comments