G A M B L E D A D

Nevada is the Most Gambling-Addicted State, but South Dakota and Montana are Next?

It's no shock: Nevada has once more been acknowledged as the state with the highest gambling addiction. This is based on the 2025 research by WalletHub, an online personal finance platform that provides guidance to consumers through regular studies. 

WalletHub’s study on the states most addicted to gambling has ranked Nevada first every year since the annual report was initially released in 2016. WalletHub ha clasificado a Las Vegas como la Ciudad Más Pecaminosa de forma regular. 

These differences aren't significant, since Nevada and Sin City are places where gamblers lose more cash than anywhere else in the nation. What is unexpected is the states that come after Nevada in the 2025 Most Gambling-Addicted States report. 

South Dakota takes the second spot. Deadwood, the renowned Gold Rush town in the Black Hills, features a few gaming venues on Main Street. South Dakota hosts tribal casinos, a lottery, parimutuel betting, and retail sports wagering. 

WalletHub states that it evaluated all 50 states using 20 important metrics, including the per capita number of casinos and gaming machines as well as the prevalence of gambling disorders among adults, to create its rankings. 

 

State Shockers Struggling with Gambling Addiction 

According to researchers at WalletHub, South Dakota is ranked second among the states with the highest gambling addiction due to its unusually high casino count relative to its small population of under one million people. South Dakota ranks 10th in lottery sales per resident aged 18 and above.

"South Dakota has legalized betting on fantasy sports, regular sports, and horse races, and it allows gambling machines to be put in stores. With so many different legal ways to gamble, it makes sense that many residents have a problem. The grip that gambling has on the Mount Rushmore State is evident in the fact that it has a high number of Gamblers Anonymous meetings per capita,” the report said.

Regarding Montana, the WalletHub study indicated that the state is ranked third in gambling addiction, with 2.5% of its population suffering from a gambling disorder.

"Montana has a very large number of gaming machines and casinos per capita, and it allows residents to bet on sports and horse races. People in The Treasure State can use electronic gambling machines in retail and convenience stores, as well,” the study relayed.

Completing the top five is not unexpected with Pennsylvania and Mississippi. Last year, Pennsylvania's gaming revenue was surpassed only by Nevada and New Jersey. Mississippi is renowned for its riverboats and the Gulf Coast, where numerous casinos dot the shoreline. 

Louisiana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Oregon, and New Jersey complete the top 10 states with the highest gambling addiction rates. 

 

Nevada No Shock 

No other state offers superior access to legal gaming than Nevada. This has resulted in it also facing the highest rate of gambling issues. Last year, Nevada players lost over $15.6 billion in gambling. 

“Nevada is the most gambling-addicted state, and that comes as no surprise considering it’s home to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of America,” the report wrote. “Nevada also ranks first when it comes to both casinos per capita and gaming machines per capita, giving residents plenty of opportunities to get hooked on this dangerous addiction.”

WalletHub advises its audience to view gambling as a source of entertainment rather than a method to earn money. 

“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,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

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