Which State is Most Addicted to Gambling?

May 08

USA - A study conducted by personal finance website, WalletHub, into the gambling activities of all 50 states has produced some intriguing results.

It certainly comes as no surprise that the researchers determined that Nevada is the most gambling-addicted state in the United States. After all, it is the primary destination for gambling in the country. As a matter of fact, it is behind only Macau as the world’s foremost gambling destination.

Trailing Nevada in this list is South Dakota, Montana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and New Jersey. Utah meanwhile, is the state least addicted to gambling. Following Utah are Florida, Alaska, Nebraska, Alabama, and Arizona.

Hawaii placed second on the gambling addiction and treatment list but is just 47th in gambling friendliness.

The states that tout the most gambling-related arrests per capita are Mississippi, Hawaii, and Illinois, which are all tied for the top spot. Minnesota and Mississippi had the highest percentage of adults with gambling disorders.

Truth be told, every state has some kind of gambling. A lot of them are very traditional about this particular activity, but there are always some corners that manage to find a way around the law.

There are different kinds of gamblers. Some are just social or recreational gamblers who might buy a lottery ticket here and there or make a random trip to a casino. Some might even compete in a fantasy sports league. However, they can and are able to stop gambling whenever they want to and will not suffer substantial financial losses.

However, there are those who are unable to keep their impulses in check and that is when gambling becomes a serious issue that needs to be addressed by professional treatment. Studies from the Mayo Clinic show that “Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

In the United States alone, people lose more than $100 billion each year on gambling.

Among gambling addicts, males will, on average, incur debts that go from $55,000 to $90,000 and females will have debts of $15,000.

Faced mounting debt, these individuals try to chase their losses and instead, end up in a much deeper hole than the one they started with, which can lead to strained relationships with loved ones, health issues and worse of all, crime.