Montana Ranks Near Top For Gambling Addiction In New Report

Gambling In America

Whenever gambling in America comes up, most people immediately think of Las Vegas. Bright lights, endless slot machines, and dice rolling all night.

So when a report ranks the most gambling-addicted states and Nevada ends up at the top, that’s not exactly shocking.

Montana Lands Near The Top In WalletHub Report

But if you keep reading that list as a Montanan, that’s when it gets a little surprising.

Because not too far down, there’s Montana.

WalletHub recently put out its rankings, and Montana didn’t just make the list; it came dangerously close to knocking Las Vegas off the top spot.

Source:WalletHub

Gambling Is Very Accessible In Montana

Now, there’s some context that matters here. A big reason for our #3 ranking comes down to gaming machines per person. And if you live here, you already know it’s pretty easy to gamble in Montana.

It’s not just casinos either. They’re all over the place, but you’ll also find video keno machines tucked into the corner of bars, restaurants, and all kinds of businesses.

On top of that, Montana doesn’t have dedicated gambling counselors, and businesses aren’t required to train employees on problem gambling.

Now, it’s not like everyone in the state is constantly gambling. About 2.5 percent of the population is dealing with a gambling addiction.

But it does show just how common and accessible it is here and how that can be a problem compared to other states.