Here’s How North Carolina Ranks For Gambling Addiction

High-rollers and casual gamblers alike are gearing up for some of the year’s biggest sports-betting events, but a new report suggests people in some states might consider simply watching from a distance this year. The high-profile NFL Draft begins on Thursday night and two of horse racing’s three biggest events — the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes — will follow in the coming weeks.

Ahead of the prominent events, the personal finance website WalletHub released a new report Tuesday ranking the most gambling-addicted states. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nevada — home to Las Vegas, the famed “Sin City” — topped the list. But you might not know that North Carolina ranked 46th in the country when it comes to gambling addiction.

WalletHub ranked each state based on what it calls “gambling-friendliness” and “gambling problem and treatment.”

• North Carolina
• Overall rank: 46
• Gambling Friendliness rank: 45
• Gambling Problem and treatment rank: 31
• Overall score: 18.89
• Nevada
• Overall rank: 1
• Gambling Friendliness rank: 1
• Gambling Problem and treatment rank: 10
• Overall score: 62.43
• Nebraska
• Overall rank: 50
• Gambling Friendliness rank: 48
• Gambling Problem and treatment rank: 41
• Overall score: 16.6

Gambling-friendliness takes into account factors such as commercial and tribal casinos per adult, gaming machines per 1,000 residents and commercial casinos revenue per 1,000 residents.

Gambling problem and treatment was calculated using factors such as the share of adults with gambling disorders, the number of gambling-related arrests per capita and the number of gambling counselors per capita.

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest dependency on gambling.

Mississippi, Minnesota, Kansas, New Jersey and Nevada had the highest percent of adults with gambling disorders, while New Mexico, New York, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky and Michigan had the least.
There are gamblers in every state, including Hawaii and Utah where it’s outlawed, but not all bettors are equal. While so-called “recreational” or “social” gamblers occasionally buy lottery tickets when the jackpot starts raising eyebrows, others have an actual medical condition known as gambling disorder. Up to 4 percent of people are either pathological gamblers or have a gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Problem gambling, the group says, “includes all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family or vocational pursuits.”

These people become increasingly preoccupied with gambling or feel they have to bet more money more often. They may also feel restless or irritable when trying to stop or “chase” losses.

WalletHub used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Gaming Association, RubinBrown, National Council on Problem Gambling, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, FBI, Pew Charitable Trusts, ESPN, Gamblers Anonymous, The Plaid Horse and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dr. Jay S. Albanese.

Click here to read the full report.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Christopher Furlong /Getty Images