RI Ranks as One of America’s Biggest Gambling States, Says Report

Thursday, April 22, 2021

GoLocalProv News Team

A new study finds that Rhode Islanders love their gambling.

Rhode Island ranks 15th overall in the new study and second only to Massachusetts in New England.

And, Rhode Island is ranked first -- tied with the Commonwealth -- with sales of lottery tickets per capita.

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“Gambling exists in every state, even Hawaii and Utah, where gambling is prohibited by law. But not all gamblers are the same,” reports WalletHub.

“Recreational or 'social' gamblers, for instance, buy the occasional lottery ticket, take the rare casino trip or bet small stakes in fantasy sports. But they also are mentally able to quit at any point and prevent catastrophic financial loss,” says the study.

“But when the business or pleasure gets out of control, gambling becomes a real medical condition. Gambling disorder, as it’s known, affects about 1-3 percent of all U.S. adults – but it may be on the rise due to increased isolated time spent online during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says the study.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

Rhode Island only has one casino operator — Twin River (Bally’s) which operates facilities in Lincoln and Tiverton.

Overall and no surprise Nevada ranks #1 in the country followed by Mississippi and South Dakota.

Cost of Addiction

According to WalletHub, addiction can lead to serious economic consequences. For example, U.S. consumers experience over $100 billion per year in total gambling losses. Individually, a male gambling addict accumulates an average debt of between $55,000 and $90,000 whereas a female average $15,000. Most cannot afford to pay back what they owe.

“As a result, gambling addicts develop a high tendency to amass even more debt, suffer from other health issues, lose their jobs, strain their relationships or even commit crimes,” according to the report.

The gambling problem, however, is much bigger in some states than in others. WalletHub, therefore, compared the 50 states to determine where excessive gambling is most prevalent. Our data set of 21 key metrics ranges from the presence of illegal gambling operations to lottery sales per capita to the share of adults with gambling disorders.

Methodology

In order to determine where gambling addiction is most prevalent and harmful in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, “Gambling-Friendliness” and “Gambling Problem & Treatment.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest dependency on gambling.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Gambling-Friendliness – Total Points: 70

Commercial & Tribal Casinos per Capita: Triple Weight (~11.05 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older. “Commercial casinos” are defined as land-based, riverboat and racetrack casinos.
Gaming Machines per 1,000 Residents: Double Weight (~7.37 Points)
Note: “Per 1,000 residents” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Share of Gambling Properties Opened: Triple Weight (~11.05 Points)
Note: This metric refers to gambling properties opened in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as of March 29, 2021.
iGaming Revenues per Capita: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Limited-Stakes Gaming Revenues per Capita: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Commercial Casinos Revenues per Capita: Double Weight (~7.37 Points)
Note: “Per 1,000 residents” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Lottery Sales per Capita: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Presence of Retail/Convenience Gaming: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Note: This metrics measures the presence of slot machines in retail or convenience locations.
Presence of Illegal Gambling Operations: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Legality of Daily Fantasy Sports: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Legality of Sports Gambling: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Legality of Horse-Race Gambling: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Google Search Interest Index for “Gambling”: Full Weight (~3.68 Points)
Note: This metric measures Google search interest for the terms “Lottery,” “Casino,” “Slots,” “Blackjack,” “Sport Betting” and “Horse Racing Betting.”

Gambling Problem & Treatment – Total Points: 30

Share of Adults Aged 18 and Older with Gambling Disorders: Triple Weight (~9.00 Points)
Gambling Counselors per Capita: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Note: “Per 1,000 residents” considers adults aged 18 and older.
“Gamblers Anonymous” Meetings per Capita: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.
Presence of NCPG Affiliation: Half Weight (~1.50 Points)
Note: “NCPG” is an acronym for National Council on Problem Gambling.
Employee Training on Disordered- & Problem-Gambling Statuses & Regulations: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Presence of Gambling-Addiction Treatment Programs: Half Weight (~1.50 Points)
Statewide Self-Exclusion Statute: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of self-exclusion policy in a state.
Self-exclusion (or self-banning) is a voluntary process where a person with a gambling concern excludes themselves from areas of specific gambling venues, or online providers.

It can provide a concrete tool to help keep you safe from excessive gambling.

Gambling-Related Arrests per Capita: Double Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: “Per capita” considers adults aged 18 and older.

RI Ranks as One of America’s Biggest Gambling States, Says Report

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RI Ranks as One of America’s Biggest Gambling States, Says Report

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