A new study by the financial services firm WalletHub indicates that Pennsylvania ranks seventh in gambling in the U.S., while nearby Maryland ranks 41st.
To create the ranking, WalletHub compared all 50 states using 20 key metrics, including factors such as illegal gambling activity, lottery spending per person and the percentage of adults struggling with gambling disorders.
Both Pennsylvania and Maryland have legalized sports betting. To view the entire WalletHub study, readers may go to https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-addicted-to-gambling/20846.
Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, noted, “Gambling addictions can destroy lives the same way that alcohol and drug addictions can. While some people may be able to enjoy casual gambling from time to time, others need to avoid temptation altogether. People with a gambling addiction may find it helpful to live in states where places to gamble are less prevalent and laws against betting are stricter.
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“Nevada is the most gambling-addicted state, ranking first when it comes to both casinos per capita and gaming machines per capita. In addition, around 2.7% of adults in Nevada have gambling disorders, one of the highest percentages in the country, and the state has the highest gambling revenues. Nevada allows retail and convenience stores to have electronic gambling machines for customers to play, and it has legalized both sports betting and gambling on horse races.”
Chris Douglas, a University of Michigan-Flint, also said, “Since the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports betting, many have moved quickly to do so. There are clear downsides. Sports betting can be highly addictive, the odds are structured against the bettor, and there are many documented cases of people losing large sums of money and ruining their finances. The primary benefit is entertainment value and the tax revenue states collect. The challenge for policymakers is balancing those benefits against the social costs of problem gambling as well as determining whether the benefits of sports betting even outweigh the cost.”
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