Want To Gamble In Utah? Don’t Bet On It

Old man on the front porch rant here, I know. But I must tell you, I'm a little perturbed by the amount commercials I hear and see these days about sports betting. They seem to be everywhere. Where in days past, the local bookie was in some back alley basement location, it's now front and center, not only on virtually every sports broadcast you watch, but in mainstream media and entertainment, too.

The invitation to gamble is becoming louder and louder in society today, and I'm not sure that it is going to benefit us. The allure to win big can be enticing.

Look, I'm not without sin here. Yes, there we times in my life where I might have made a run to Mesquite for a little “Nevada style fun.” I have no qualms with those who make that occasional trip, or who, as may have happened recently, participate in the office pool with the March Madness brackets (though, technically, those are not legal here in Utah).

But when gambling gets out of control, as can happen, it can devastate those involved. The consequences of gambling addiction extend far beyond financial ruin. Relationships suffer, careers crumble, and mental health deteriorates. The cycle of anticipation, wagering, and either winning or losing triggers the brain's reward system, leading to a dopamine rush similar to that experienced with substance abuse. Over time, tolerance builds, requiring larger bets to achieve the same "high." Withdrawal symptoms manifest when gambling is curtailed, perpetuating the cycle of addiction.

Here in Utah, gambling addiction is not that common. In fact, Wallet Hub just released its annual report on the Most Gambling Addicted states, and guess where Utah ranked. Yep...dead last, number 50.

That's not to say we don't have some issues here. In fact, according to the rankings, Utah was not dead last in “Gambling Problem and Treatment.” In fact we were ranked as the 12^th highest state dealing with it.

Read More: Uh Oh! Utah Is Not The Least Sinful State!

Now, by comparison, and as I'm sure as no surprise, the state most addicted to gambling is right next door in Nevada. I do have to wonder how much of that actually comes from California. Have you been on I-15 near Barstow on a Friday afternoon?

Nevada ranks at the top of almost every metric Wallet Hub used in compiling the rankings, except, interestingly enough, in the sales of lottery tickets where they are at the bottom. South Dakota was the second most addicted to gambling state, while Montana was third.

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So it looks like we don't have that much to worry about as far as gambling addiction here in Utah. But, if you play the office March Madness pool next year, I won't say anything.