A casual gambler occasionally purchases lottery tickets, places small sports bets, or sporadically visits a casino. These participants can stop at any time before their losses become significant.
A problem gambler battles with control. What initially appears as entertainment can swiftly evolve into a fixation to recover gambling loses. For some, gambling engulfs their lives, transforming into a grave health concern.
Nevada, often referred to as the world’s gambling hub, experiences its fair share of gambling issues. The state has been dubbed the most gambling-addicted in the US this year by WalletHub. However, the accuracy of this study has been questioned by various industry leaders.
Nevada top list of most gambling-addicted states
WalletHub conducted a study using various metrics to categorize the 50 states based on their extreme gambling tendencies. These metrics encompassed the prevalence of illegal gambling activities, per capita lottery sales, and the count of adults struggling with gambling addiction.
Nevada also holds the distinction of being the state most accommodating to gambling. It has the highest number of residents struggling with gambling issues and those undergoing treatment. Furthermore, Nevada ranks first in terms of casinos per capita, gaming machines per capita, and gambling-related arrests per capita.
The study presents a glimpse at the top 10 states with the highest addiction to gambling:
- Nevada
- Dakota South
- Montana
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Jersey, New
- Oklahoma
- Virginia West
- Pennsylvania
- Oregon
Industry leaders criticize WalletHub’s study
Nonetheless, various high-ranking individuals have questioned the reliability of this study for multiple reasons. For example, Ted Hartwell from the Desert Research Institute has challenged the standards WalletHub employed to evaluate states.
“Hartwell stated, “I’m not sure where they obtained them. I’m unaware of any peer-reviewed studies that would examine those factors and conclude that these are reliable methods for measuring prevalence within a specific state.”
Hawaii, for example, is ranked equally with Georgia for having the fewest legal non-casino slot machines. Nonetheless, Georgia possesses 33,000 state lottery-managed coin operated amusement machines, while Hawaii has none.
Furthermore, California is listed 11th on WalletHub’s ranking. Yet, a 2022 audit of the state’s Office of Problem Gambling indicated that the office was unable to demonstrate any direct link between its evaluation of its programs and services and the enhancement of those same programs and services. This audit also lacked data on the estimated number of Californians suffering from gambling addiction.
Hartwell also mentioned that, despite the high number of casinos in Nevada, many of them target individuals from other states as their primary market.
“He said, ‘The types of measures used in this study definitely distort the numbers. Major resorts and casinos located along the Strip corridor and downtown are mainly catering to tourists.'”
In a recent conversation with Play Innevada, Keith Whyte, the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, did not mince his words.
“Problem gambling is a significant problem and we firmly believe state governments should take more action. However, WalletHub’s random, incorrect rankings due to poor methodology undermine this crucial public health conversation.”
Resources available for those who need help with problem gambling
The issue of problem gambling is indeed genuine. Luckily, there are methods available for Nevadans to obtain the assistance they require.
Also a nonprofit organization, the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling provides counseling, assistance in finding treatment options, and a 24-hour free hotline. The number, 1-800-GAMBLER, is part of the recently updated national hotline system.
In Nevada, gamblers have the option to place themselves on a self-exclusion database to restrict their gambling opportunities. Additionally, support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, GAM-ANON, and GamTalk provide assistance for gamblers and their families. These resources serve to reassure problem gamblers that they are not alone and that there is no need for them to feel ashamed.
This story includes additional reporting contributed by Andrew Champagne.
Related Articles
Nevada Gambling, Tourism Numbers Grow Again In February
