I'm not much of a gambler.

I grew up with a strict but -- I think -- healthy view of money. As kid, I was taught to budget my money like this: the first 10% goes to tithe, 60% goes to savings and the remaining 30% is spending money. You can think what you will of how my parents raised me, but they taught me that money is a tool not a goal, that financial priorities come first and whatever's left is for pleasure. Of course, as I got older the budget categories grew to include things like groceries, gas, cell phone, insurance...you know, the responsibilities of adult life. That's not to say that gambling is necessarily reckless or irresponsible (though it certainly can be), but gambling has never held any interest with me or place in my personal finances, probably for the better.

According to a recent study by Wallethub, Minnesota is one of the most gambling-addicted states in the country ranking #8 overall. "U.S. consumers experience over $100 billion per year in total gambling losses," says Wallethub." Individually, a male gambling addict accumulates an average debt of between $55,000 and $90,000 whereas a female averages $15,000. Most cannot afford to pay back what they owe."

To determine the most-gambling and least-gambling addicted states, Wallethub looked at 21 different gambling-related metrics including Commercial & Tribal Casinos per Capita, Gaming Machines per 1,000 Residents, Lottery Sales per Capita, Legality of Daily Fantasy Sports and Share of Adults Aged 18 and Older with Gambling Disorders and then compared the results by states. The top 10 most gambling-addicted states according to the study's findings are:

1. Nevada
2. Mississippi
3. South Dakota
4. Montana
5. Louisiana
6. Oklahoma
7. New Jersey
8. Minnesota
9. West Virgina
10. Oregon

The top 10 least gambling-addicted states are:

41. Arizona
42. Wisconsin
43. Hawaii
44. Alaska
45. Idaho
46. New Mexico
47. Michigan
48. Maine
49. North Carolina
50. Utah

Source: WalletHub

With an overall rank of #8, here's the breakdown of Minnesota's relationship with gambling:

 6th Gambling Problem and Treatment
15th Gambling Friendliness
1st (tied) Highest % of Adults with Gambling Disorders
9th Casinos per Capita
15th Gaming Machines per Capita
16th Gambling-Related Arrests per Capita
1st Legality of Daily Fantasy Sports
1st Legality of Sports Gambling

WalletHub
WalletHub
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See the full results of WalletHub's study on gambling addiction here.

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