Gambling is legal is every state, how does your state rank for most gambling addicted states in 2017.

Gambling exists in all fifty states.  Gamblers are usually either “Recreational” or “social” gamblers, for instance, buy the occasional scotch off or take a charity bus trip to the casino.  These gamblers are able to quit at any time and prevent from becoming addicted.  “Professional” gamblers make up another group — the likes of math genius Edward Thorp and high-stakes sports bettor Bill Krackomberger — who gamble well enough to make a living out of it but are able to separate work from personal life.  The poker boom a few years back spawned the rise of the “professional” poker player for which may were self-proclaimed.

But what happens when business or pleasure gets out of control, gambling becomes a real addition.  Gambling addiction affects slightly more than 2 percent of all U.S. adults. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

Just like drugs and alcohol, gambling addiction can lead to serious personal and economic consequences. On a societal level, compulsive gambling costs an estimated $6 billion per year, according to a study by the National Council on Problem Gambling. Individually, a male gambling addict accumulates an average debt of between $55,000 and $90,000 whereas a female averages $15,000. Most cannot afford to pay back what they owe, compounding the problem as it may take years to pay off or even risk boldly harm in some cases.  As a result, gambling addicts develop a high tendency to amass even more debt, suffer from other health issues, lose their jobs, strain their relationships or even commit crimes to pay back their outstanding debt.  It is ok to gamble as you need to do it in moderation and work with responsible bookmakers especially when gambling online.

WalletHub conducted a survey to find out which are the most addicted states when it came to gambling, check it out:

Click below to see how your state ranks via this interactive map:

Here is the methodology used:

Methodology

In order to determine where gambling addiction is most prevalent and harmful in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, namely “Gambling-Friendliness” and “Gambling Problem & Treatment.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 15 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest dependency on gambling.

We then calculated the total score for each state based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Gambling-Friendliness – Total Points: 70

• Commercial & Tribal Casinos per Capita: Triple Weight (~17.50 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older. “Commercial casinos” are defined as land-based, riverboat and racetrack casinos.
• Gaming Machines per 1,000 Population: Double Weight (~11.67 Points)
  Note: “Per 1,000 population” considers adults aged 18 and older.
• iGaming Revenues per Capita: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
• Limited-Stakes Gaming Revenues per Capita: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
• Lottery Sales per Capita: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
• Presence of Illegal Gambling Operations: Full Weight (~5. 83 Points)
• Legality of Daily Fantasy Sports: Full Weight (~5. 83 Points)
• Legality of Sports Gambling: Full Weight (~5.83Points)
• Legality of Horse-Race Gambling: Full Weight (~5. 83 Points)

Gambling Problem & Treatment – Total Points: 30

• Share of Adults Aged 18 & Older with Gambling Disorders: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
• “Gamblers Anonymous” Meetings per Capita: Full Weight Weight (~4.29 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
• NCPG Affiliation: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
  Note: “NCPG” is an acronym for National Council on Problem Gambling.
• Employee Training on Disordered- & Problem-Gambling Statuses & Regulations: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Presence of Gambling-Addiction Treatment Programs: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
• Gambling-Related Arrests per Capita: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
  Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Gaming Association, RubinBrown, National Council on Problem Gambling, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pew Charitable Trusts, TVG, ESPN, Gamblers Anonymous and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dr. Jay S. Albanese.

Original Article: https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-addicted-to-gambling/20846/