Minnesota in Top 10 of Most Gambling-Addicted States
Minnesota lands in another top 10 list, and it's maybe one we want to try and avoid being on.
WalletHub released its list of most gambling-addicted states for 2021, using 21 different data points they rank the states for "Gambling-Friendliness" and "Gambling Problem & Treatment." Some of the data they look at is the number of commercial and tribal casinos, the number of gaming machines per 1000 residents, share of adults with gambling disorders, gambling counselors per capita, Gamblers Anonymous meetings per capita, and several other factors.
When all the data was compiled Minnesota ranked number 8 of most gambling-addicted states, Wisconsin was near the bottom of the list, falling at number 42. Minnesota was number 15 for gambling-friendliness, but number 6 for gambling problems & treatment, and was tied for first place with Mississippi for percent of adults with a gambling disorder.
Each year in America gamblers experience over $100 billion in total gambling losses, with men taking the lead with an average debt of between $55,000 and $90,000, women with a gambling addictions average $15,000 in debt. Gambling disorders affect 1-3% of American adults.
According to UnitedStatesCasinos.org, Minnesota has 21 tribal casinos, 21,630 slot machines, over 300 tables, and just under 100 poker tables. The largest casino in Minnesota is Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, with over 125,000 square feet of gaming space and over 4,000 slot machines.
The Minnesota Department of Health has a webpage set up for gambling addiction including a 20-question self-screening test and links to resources for gambling disorder help.