No Surprise Regarding New Jersey Gambling-Addicted Results

A recent survey places New Jersey as the 8th Most Addicted State in America.

It’s Not Just Because New Jersey Has Casino Gambling

48 states in America have some form of legalized gambling, which means that the opportunity to become addicted to gambling exists almost everywhere.

Gambling Industry By The Numbers

According to the personal-finance company WalletHub, the gambling industry generated a record $78.7 billion in revenue in 2025.

WalletHub Parameters Regarding Rankings

WalletHub compared all 50 states and used 20 key metrics, including:

illegal gambling activity.
lottery spending per person.
percentage of adults who struggle with gambling disorders.

Gambling Addiction in New Jersey (1=Most Addicted, 25=Average)

Overall Rank: 8th
18th - Lottery Sales per Capita
3rd - % of Adults with Gambling Disorders
1st - Gambling-Related Arrests per Capita
1st - Legality of Sports Gambling

In conclusion:

The WalletHub metrics places New Jersey as the 8th most gambling-addicted state. Even still, 97 percent of New Jerseyans are not addicted to gambling. Nevada is the # 1 most gambling-addicted state.

WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo

Gambling addictions can destroy lives the same way that alcohol and drug addictions can. 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. Nevada is the most gambling-addicted state, ranking first when it comes to both casinos per capita and gaming machines per capita. In addition, around 2.7% of adults in Nevada have gambling disorders, one of the highest percentages in the country, and the state has the highest gambling revenues. Nevada allows retail and convenience stores to have electronic gambling machines for customers to play, and it has legalized both sports betting and gambling on horse races — said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst.