While gambling exists everywhere in the U.S., legal or otherwise, laws and local approaches to gambling can vary on a state-by-state basis. In order to determine where excessive gambling is most widespread, Wallethub has examined each of the 50 states according to 19 key metrics, including illegal gambling operations, lottery sales per capita, and share of adults with gambling disorders.
Nevada ranks highest on this list, and also ranks first for “Gambling Friendliness” and tenth for “Gambling Problems & Treatment.” Nevada also has the most gaming machines per capita, is tied with Oklahoma and South Dakota for the most casinos per capita, and has the fifth-highest share of gambling disorders per capita.
South Dakota ranks second, with a Gambling Friendliness rank of 3 and a Gambling Problem & Treatment rank of 8, followed by Montana, with a Gambling Friendliness rank of 2 and a Gambling Problem & Treatment rank of 20.
Notably, while Hawaii prohibits all gambling by law, the state ranks fifth for “Gambling Problems & Treatment” and has one of the highest gambling-related arrest rates per capita. Utah, which also prohibits gambling, ranks 27th for gambling problems.
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