Brick Township residents explain why they play the lottery
APP reporter, Joe Strupp, interviews lottery customers at Jersey Farms in Brick.
Think you know what state likes to gamble the most?
Wanna bet?
Thanks to online gambling, the industry made $71.9 billion in revenue last year and every year consumers spend more than $100 billion in gambling losses, according to a study by Wallethub.
The study also shows how troubling a gambling addiction can be.
The average debt for a male gambling addict is between $55,000 and $90,000. For females, it’s $15,000. The study shows these debts can lead to troubles including health issues, loss of employment or end relationships.
Most gambling-addicted states
Thanks to its casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey is pretty high on the list, coming in at No. 10. While it’s not great, the states that have bigger issues, according to the study, are Nevada, which ranks No. 1, followed by South Dakota, Montana, Pennsylvania and Mississippi. The rest of the top 10 includes Louisiana, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Oregon.
New York comes in at 13, while Delaware ranks 23.
The states with the least gambling issues are Utah, which ranks last, followed by Alaska, Vermont, Maine and Nebraska. I guess you can’t really bet on corn, huh?
NJ ranks high for gambling disorders
It’s most likely due to access to AC casinos, but New Jersey ranks third for percentage of adults with gambling disorders. It trails only Mississippi and Minnesota, and it’s tied with Kansas.
If you have a gambling problem, help is available.