New Jersey is one of the most gambling-addicted states

A study by Wallethub.com says that New Jersey is the sixth most gambling-addicted state in the country.

They used two broad categories: “Gambling Friendliness” and “Gambling Problem and Treatment.” There are a total of 20 metrics across the categories, things like:

• Commercial and Tribal Casinos per Capita
• Gaming Machines per 1,000 residents
• Gaming Revenues per Capita
• Lottery Sales per Capita
• The legality of Sports Betting
• Legality of Horse Racing

For “Gambling problem and treatment”, they looked at things like:

• Share of Adults with Gambling Disorders
• Gambling Counselors per Capita
• Gamblers Anonymous Meetings per Capita
• Spending on Problem Gambling Services per Capita
• Gambling Arrests per Capita
• Statewide Self-Exclusion Statute

New Jersey is 9th in Gambling Friendliness and 12th in Problem and Treatment. Some of the places where New Jersey had high ranks include % of adults with a gambling problem, which is tied for third, and gambling-related arrests; New Jersey is fifth.

To no one’s surprise, Nevada is #1 and they top both the friendliness and problem lists individually.

Here are the top gambling-addicted states:

1. Nevada
2. South Dakota
3. Montana
4. Louisiana
5. Mississippi
6. New Jersey
7. Oklahoma
8. West Virginia
9. Pennsylvania
10. Oregon

The least gambling-addicted states are:

50. Utah
49. Vermont
48. Alaska
47. Hawaii
46. Maine
45. Wisconsin
44. Kansas
43. Nebraska
42. Florida
41. Connecticut

There are many resources available to help people who are struggling with gambling addiction.

The New Jersey Council on Problem Gambling offers a variety of resources, including a helpline, a website, and a support group directory. 1-800-GAMBLER or https://800gambler.org/