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Utah Ranks as the Least Gambling-Addicted State

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A personal finance website has released a report on states and gambling addiction. 

The report released by personal finance website WalletHub ranked residents in all 50 states to determine how addicted they are to gambling.  Researcher Jill Gonzalez says Utah ranks as the least gambling addicted state in the nation.

“And the fact of the matter is Utah, first of all, doesn’t have that much legal gambling going on so that of course is going to bring it down in terms of gambling friendliness. Same with the revenue that any of it would bring in. Simply, it really doesn’t exist there. Secondly, it has the lowest percentage of adults 18 and older with gambling disorders. So that of course is going to help out in the gambling problem and treatment area.”

Thirteen key metrics in two categories on gambling issues were used to gather data.

“The first was just an over-all gambling friendliness, the legality of different types of betting, the revenues that each brings in, and then gambling problem and treatment. And that has to do directly with the percentage of adults 18 and up with gambling disorders, and then the presence of gambling addiction treatment programs. Also, if there are gambling related arrests per capita within a state.”

WalletHub’s report was based on existing data from sources like the U.S. Census, and the American Gaming Association. With the  Kentucky Derby in May, Gonzalez expects an up-tick in gaming.

Full report here